TLDR
- Brazil’s Novo party filed an electoral action asking the TSE to remove President Lula and Vice President Alckmin.
- The party claims the government used 35 regulatory measures to influence the 2026 presidential election.
- A nationwide fixed-odds betting ban, issued nine days before the first round, is at the center of the complaint.
- Novo cites government estimates of billions of reais in lost tax revenue from 2026 to 2028.
- The case was assigned on October 20, and the court has not ruled on any of the claims.
Brazil’s Novo party has filed a legal action with the Superior Electoral Court, known as the TSE, against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin. The party is asking the court to remove both leaders over claims of election interference.
The filing is an Electoral Investigation Action. Novo says the government used 35 regulatory measures in 2026 to influence the presidential election. One of those measures was a nationwide ban on fixed-odds betting.
Novo wants the court to rule that political abuse of power took place. It also asks the court to cancel the candidates’ registration or mandate and bar them from office for eight years.
These are claims made by the party. The court has not ruled on them.
Betting Ban at the Center of the Complaint
The ban came through Provisional Measure No. 1,394 on September 25, 2026. That date was nine days before the first round of voting.
The measure banned fixed-odds betting across Brazil. It covered the offering, intermediation and advertising of bets, including online sports betting and casino wagering.
It also ended existing operator authorizations and required the return of player balances. Lula had earlier signed Law No. 14,790/2023, which created the legal framework for the regulated betting market.
Novo says the ban’s deadlines lined up with key dates in the election calendar. According to the filing, a ten-day window for closing betting websites began right after the first round, and players could withdraw balances until October 5.
The complaint also points to other measures, including fuel subsidies and changes to social benefits. Novo says their timing may have affected voters.
The party cites media reports that described the ban as part of Lula’s campaign. It also refers to a meeting between Lula and people harmed by betting, where the president said he would act “very soon.”
Budget Effects Cited in the Filing
Novo also raised the cost of shutting down the regulated market. It cites federal government estimates of lost tax revenue of BRL 1.541 billion in 2026, BRL 5.150 billion in 2027 and BRL 5.330 billion in 2028.
The party says the government would need to adjust its 2027 budget to cover the gap. Combined with other 2026 measures, Novo estimates about BRL 31 billion in costs for next year.
Novo says it is not defending online betting or challenging the government’s right to limit gambling. Its argument is about the timing and nature of the policy.
The party is asking for documents, technical reviews and timelines behind all 35 measures. The filing also compares the case to a past TSE decision involving a municipal tax amnesty tied to election timing.
Betting operators and other groups have separately challenged the ban at the Supreme Federal Court.
On October 20, the TSE assigned the case to Electoral Inspector General Ricardo Villas Bôas Cueva. The court must now decide whether to move the case forward and ask Lula and Alckmin to respond.
