TLDR
- President Lula says he will decide on Brazil’s sports betting future only after reviewing consultations with civil society
- He spoke to around 10 to 11 people, including families affected by gambling debt and people linked to gambling related suicides
- On September 1, Lula said he personally leans toward a ban and called for a “drastic decision”
- Lula said taxes only discourage betting companies when the taxes cut deeply into profits
- The betting debate has become part of Lula’s re-election campaign ahead of Brazil’s October 4 vote
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has not said what he will do about sports betting in the country. He said his decision will be based on talks with civil society groups.
Lula made the comments during an interview with SBT Brasil on September 10. He said his team already collected and organized the public input.
“I listened to society, we recorded everything they said, we have already mapped and systematized everything,” Lula said. “Now, I will make a decision based on what I saw.”
He did not say whether he supports banning betting platforms or keeping the current regulated system in place.
Lula Consults Stakeholders Before Deciding
Lula said opinions on betting are split across the country. Some people want platforms shut down, some want them to stay open, and others want penalties for those responsible.
He said he did not want to state a position before hearing from different groups first.
The people he spoke with included opponents of betting platforms, families dealing with gambling debt, and people connected to suicides linked to betting debt. Lula said he spoke with about 10 or 11 people total.
“I am not going to make a decision on my own,” he said. “I am not president of myself, I am president of 215 million people.”
When asked directly what his decision would be, Lula declined to answer. “Don’t ask me what the decision is, because I am not going to tell you,” he said.
President Previously Leaned Toward a Ban
Lula’s newest comments follow a stronger stance he took on September 1. At a meeting with civil society groups at the Planalto Palace, he said he personally prefers banning gambling in Brazil.
“I think we have to make a more drastic decision,” he said at the time. “Because we don’t even have demand-pull inflation.”
Lula also questioned whether taxing betting companies would work as a deterrent. He said taxes only discourage behavior when they cut deeply into profits.
“Taxes only make things difficult when they affect profits,” Lula said. He added that companies would keep operating as long as returns stayed high, even with higher taxes.
Lula said the government does not always know where betting companies are based or where they pay taxes. He said this makes taxation harder to use as a regulatory tool.
The SBT interview also covered Lula’s broader campaign platform. The first round of Brazil’s election takes place on October 4.
Lula is running for re-election as a candidate of the Workers’ Party. He described his approach to the betting issue, gathering information, organizing it, then deciding, as a model for how he plans to govern if re-elected.
The betting debate has become part of both the regulatory conversation and Lula’s campaign messaging ahead of the vote.
