Brazilian President Lula has reiterated his opposition to the nation’s gambling sector in an appearance on morning television.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has reiterated his opposition to the nation’s gambling sector in an appearance on morning television.
Speaking on ICL News, the president took aim at the sports betting sector, claiming that if it were entirely up to him, all bookmakers would be shut down in the country.
In comments made to hosts Eduardo Moreira and Leandro Demori, he said: “It’s not possible to continue with this unbridled game in this country.”
The comments follow a message he delivered last month on the rapid growth of the online gambling sector, noting the financial and social issues which he argues the industry propagates.
Lula’s opposition to gambling sector has grown over time
This position is a natural advancement of Lula’s anti-gambling sentiments, a subject on which he has become increasingly vocal.
The regulatory framework for online gaming and sports betting became effective at the beginning of 2025, and it was, in fact, Lula who signed Bill PL 2626/2023 into law at the end of 2023, his first year back in office.
However, the initial legalisation of sports betting came about during the tenure of one of Lula’s predecessor’s, Michel Temer.
While Lula did give his assent to the bill in 2023, he also opted to water it down via the use of a partial veto.
At the time, he used his powers to block certain taxation exemptions, and at the start of January 2026, he also approved a gradual tax rise, which will see operators facing a 15% tax rate by 2028.
His new comments more broadly reject the utility of the sector to the public good.
“I’ve been discussing this bet business for 15 days. I’ve been debating exactly that: if they cause the harm we think they cause, why not end the bets? Or else regulate so that there are not so many in Brazil, if they have any use.”
He has also refuted the suggestion that the sector is vital for the financing of football, arguing: “Football survived for more than a century without them.”
Getting on campaign footing in election year
2026 is an election year in Brazil and Lula appears to be building some of the foundations of his campaign on the idea that in some quarters, public opinion is turning against the gambling industry.
The suggestion has long been that he would seek a fourth term as President of Brazil and Lula has confirmed his desire to run, though his candidacy is not yet formally confirmed.
If he is returned to office, the chances of some regulatory reversals within the gaming and betting sectors would increase markedly.
Various industry leaders have already pushed back against the president’s intensifying rhetoric and these latest comments will have done nothing to balm their concerns.