Over 480,000 Brazilians have participated in a Senate public consultation, casting their votes in favor of President Lula's proposed ban on betting. According to data from the e-Cidadania portal, 478,845 citizens supported the ban, while 80,387 opposed it, resulting in a ratio of about six to one in favor.
This consultation is part of Senate Resolution 26/2013 and serves as an informal survey, meaning it does not influence actual congressional votes. In an effort to galvanize support, the union of engineers in Rio de Janeiro, Senger-RJ, has actively encouraged its members to back the proposal. Additionally, the Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT), the country's largest labor confederation, reported that over 80% of its members voted in favor, a figure echoed by Correio Braziliense, which highlighted an 85% approval rating for the ban.
Other polling data reflects similar sentiments. A survey by AtlasIntel conducted prior to the measure's approval indicated that around 70% of Brazilians view gambling as a contributing factor to their economic woes.
If the Supreme Federal Court does not intervene, licensed gambling websites and mobile apps must cease operations by October 6. Remaining licenses would become invalid on October 25. Lawmakers are urged to address this issue by November 23, marking the end of a 60-day period following the consultation's commencement, which can be extended once for another 60 days. Websites would be required to halt operations three days after the conclusion of the counting process, even as legal petitions to the Supreme Federal Court are underway.
