Brazilian Bill Would Put Online Betting to a National Yes or No Vote

A new draft legislative decree in Brazil's National Congress would hand the future of the betting sector to voters. Filed by Deputy Paulo Teixeira, it proposes a national plebiscite putting a single question on the ballot: "Are you in favour of prohibiting fixed-odds betting and online games in Brazil?"

If the Chamber and Senate approve the decree, the Electoral Justice system would organise the logistics and set the date. The text also states that once the vote is called, all legislative and administrative business on the subject is suspended until the results are officially proclaimed. After the count and certification by the Superior Electoral Court, Congress would be obliged to enact the popular decision within the bounds of the Federal Constitution.

The justification leans on how quickly the market changed. Gambling stopped requiring a physical venue and moved onto phones, and the sector's arrival in sport followed, with operator names on the shirts of major clubs, in championship broadcasts and across mass marketing.

The text acknowledges that the market already runs under Law 14.790, signed at the end of 2023, which set out authorisation rules, oversight, advertising transparency and sporting integrity requirements. It also notes that the regulated environment produces significant economic benefits, generating revenue for the state and for the various public sectors that receive a share of it.

The proposal is one of several pressures on the licensed sector. Sao Paulo councillors are weighing bills that would ban betting advertising in public spaces, Rio de Janeiro has already issued such a decree, and a separate request has been filed in the Chamber to debate illegal betting advertising on social media.