Justice Luiz Fux of Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) has announced the schedule for a public hearing to assess the effects of the provisional measure that prohibits sports betting. This meeting is part of Direct Action of Unconstitutionality (ADI) 8027, which Fux is overseeing.
A total of 28 entities are set to participate in the hearing, which involves stakeholders from the executive branch, various sports entities, football clubs, and associations concerned with the issue. Each entity must submit the names and powers of attorney for their representatives to the STF by 3 PM on Thursday, with a limit of two representatives per organization.
The hearing is scheduled for November 3rd at 10 AM in the STF's Second Chamber, and it will be accessible via broadcast on TV and Radio Justiça as well as the STF's YouTube channel. Entities are allotted 10 minutes each to express their views on Provisional Measure (MP) 1.394/2026, which not only bans fixed-odds betting but also revokes licenses that have been granted to companies in this sector.
Representatives from major Brazilian football clubs, including Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo, Cruzeiro, São Paulo, and Corinthians, will be present, alongside the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB). Additionally, statements will be made by the Attorney General’s Office (AGU), the Ministries of Finance and Sports, and the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGR). Key trade associations like the National Confederation of Commerce of Goods, Services and Tourism (CNC) and the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) will also participate.
The hearing will also feature representatives from the betting industry, such as the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) and the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR). Other organizations focused on market regulation and economic freedom, including the Brazilian Association for Economic Freedom (Able), the Brazilian Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters (Abert), and the Economic Regulation Laboratory of the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ Reg), will contribute to the discussion.
The ANJL filed ADI 8027, seeking to suspend Provisional Measure 1.394/2026 and ultimately declare it unconstitutional, while affirming the legality of current laws regarding fixed-odds betting. This provisional measure is also contested in other actions: ADIs 8,024, 8,028, and 8,035. The STF is concurrently deliberating on additional actions, ADIs 7721, 7723, and 7749, which question Law 14.790/2023—the Betting Law that regulates sports betting in Brazil.
In November 2024, the STF hosted a public hearing involving over 50 experts and representatives from civil society regarding these actions. The AGU has proposed a new hearing, indicating that the evidence gathered since then on the impacts of betting and the provisional measure warrants further examination.
The hearing will kick off with 10 minutes of introductory remarks from Justice Fux, followed by allotted times for each football club to present their cases, the CBF, and COB.
After a lunch break, the AGU will make a statement, followed by the Ministries of Finance and Sports. The ANJL and IBJR are scheduled to speak from 3 PM to 3:20 PM, with the International Gaming Association concluding the discussions around 5 PM.
