TLDR
- Brazilian congresswoman Caroline De Toni introduced Bill No. 5,153/2026 to ban fixed-odds betting nationwide.
- The bill would cancel all existing federal betting licenses within 180 days of passage.
- Operators would get 90 extra days after that to pay out prizes and return player balances.
- Fines could reach R$2 billion per infraction, with criminal penalties of two to five years in prison.
- De Toni points to R$62.5 billion in betting losses tied to Brazilian household spending in 2025.
A Brazilian congresswoman has introduced a bill that would shut down the country’s regulated online betting market. Caroline De Toni filed Bill No. 5,153/2026 this week, aiming to ban fixed-odds betting across Brazil.
The bill covers sports betting, virtual events, and other forms of online fixed-odds wagers. It would not touch government-run lottery activities.
Fantasy sports would still be allowed to operate. But the government would need to write new rules to stop the format from being used as a workaround for fixed-odds betting.
What the Bill Would Ban
Article 2 of the bill sets out a broad ban on running, managing, selling, or acting as a middleman for fixed-odds betting. This includes both websites and physical locations that take bets.
The bill would also stop betting companies from handling financial transactions tied to wagers. Advertising and sponsorship deals with betting operators would be banned too.
Bonus programs, loyalty rewards, and paid promotions from affiliates and influencers would fall under the same restrictions. Content that promotes betting could face limits as well.
There is an exception built in. Journalistic, academic, scientific, and educational content would be allowed, as long as it has no paid relationship with a betting operator.
To enforce the ban, the government could order internet providers to block betting websites. It could also remove betting apps from app stores and stop related ad placements.
Authorities could freeze betting accounts and block financial transactions linked to wagering. Some of these enforcement steps would extend to virtual asset service providers as well.
How the Transition Would Work
If passed, the bill would cancel every existing federal betting license within 180 days. This would happen regardless of how much time was left on a license’s original term.
During that 180 day window, operators would not be allowed to accept new bets or new deposits. Existing accounts would stay in a wind down phase.
After the 180 days end, operators would get another 90 days to pay out prizes still owed and return player balances. Websites could only stay online during this period to process withdrawals and settle accounts.
Companies that break the rules could face warnings, fines, or a suspension of the tools used to violate the law. Fines would range from 0.1% to 20% of a company’s prior year gross revenue.
The maximum fine for a company would be R$2 billion per infraction. Individuals could face fines up to R$50,000, with case totals also capped at R$2 billion.
Criminal penalties are part of the bill too. Anyone running, organizing, or financing fixed-odds betting after the transition period could face two to five years in prison, with harsher penalties for cases tied to organized crime.
The Reasoning Behind the Bill
De Toni’s proposal points to data showing the size of Brazil’s betting market. She cites a Fiscal Bulletin of Brazilian States estimate showing an average monthly net transfer of R$4.7 billion out of household finances between October 2024 and March 2026.
She also references a R$62.5 billion figure in net betting expenditure, which she says equals about 0.68% of Brazilian families’ gross national income in 2025.
De Toni argues the betting market has grown large enough to affect how Brazilian families make decisions about spending, saving, and debt. Her bill frames the ban as a response to those financial and social effects.
The bill now moves into Brazil’s legislative process. Congress will review the proposed ban, the transition timeline, and the financial and administrative rules attached to it.
