TLDR
- Brazil’s 2026 presidential candidates hold very different views on online betting regulation.
- Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro back tighter restrictions, including bans on using welfare funds for bets.
- Romeu Zema and Renan Santos want a complete ban on online betting.
- Ronaldo Caiado favors financial monitoring and advertising limits instead of a ban.
- Augusto Cury proposes high taxes on betting companies as a deterrent.
Brazil’s 2026 presidential race has turned online betting into a central campaign issue. Candidates are split on how to handle the regulated betting market that operates under federal law.
Their positions range from a full ban to higher taxes, tighter advertising rules, and stronger financial oversight. The debate comes as concerns grow over gambling’s effect on household budgets and the presence of illegal operators.
Polls show a group of national figures competing for the presidency. These include Lula, Flávio Bolsonaro, Ronaldo Caiado, Romeu Zema, Renan Santos, and Augusto Cury.
Lula and Bolsonaro Push for Limits
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has said he is considering measures to limit online sports betting. He told the Não Inviabilize and As Cunhãs podcasts that he would end betting if it were entirely up to him.
Lula has criticized how widely betting platforms reach children through phones and other devices. His administration is discussing options with the Ministries of Finance, Planning, and Justice.
The government has already tightened advertising rules. The Secretariat of Prizes and Betting temporarily banned six betting company websites for breaking regulations.
One idea in Lula’s platform would stop people from using welfare payments to place bets. Flávio Bolsonaro, his main rival, included a similar ban in his own platform.
Bolsonaro’s plan states that money meant for household needs should not go toward betting. This rule already applies to recipients of Bolsa Família and the BPC benefit.
Zema and Santos Call for a Full Ban
Romeu Zema has taken one of the strongest stances, saying online betting should be banned outright. The former Minas Gerais governor said banning betting would be his first act as president.
Zema has compared gambling addiction to chemical dependency. He said Brazil has a serious problem that authorities are currently ignoring.
Renan Santos, the Missão party candidate, has also pledged a full ban. During a debate hosted by the National Union of Trade and Services Entities, he called betting one of the worst habits a person can take up, comparing it to crack use.
Ronaldo Caiado has taken a different path. The PSD candidate has not committed to a ban, instead proposing financial monitoring through the Council for Financial Activities Control and the Federal Revenue Service.
Caiado has also criticized excessive betting advertising. He said limiting ad exposure would be one of his first steps if elected, though he has not said whether he supports a full ban.
Augusto Cury, the Avante candidate, wants to use taxation as a deterrent. He called for high taxes on betting companies during the same business sector debate.
Cury said heavy taxation would keep profits from flowing entirely to what he called increasingly billion dollar betting companies. He argued the money could instead benefit Brazilian society.
The debate has spread beyond the presidential race. Both São Paulo governor candidates, Fernando Haddad and Tarcísio de Freitas, have spoken against online betting.
Tarcísio said Brazil must choose between ending betting or being ended by it. Haddad said the issue deserves serious discussion but noted it falls under federal, not state, authority.
With the 2026 election underway, betting policy has become a defined campaign issue. Options on the table include prohibition, taxation, advertising bans, financial monitoring, and consumer protection rules.
