Photo: Ministry of Justice and Public Security.
Brazil’s government announced two provisional measures on September 25: one prohibiting the operation, offering, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds betting nationwide, and another creating the Desenrola Brasil 3.0 debt-renegotiation program for individuals in arrears. The Senate reported that both measures took effect when published in an extra edition of the Official Gazette. Under Brazil’s system, provisional measures have immediate force but require congressional approval within a set period to remain in effect.
The betting measure barred new deposits and gave users until October 5 to withdraw balances. The government said betting websites and applications would be taken offline from October 6, with remaining balances returned through payment institutions during a later window. The measure addressed fixed-odds betting, often referred to in Brazil as “bets”; it did not itself establish that all forms of gambling were newly prohibited.
The companion debt program was presented as a means of renegotiating overdue consumer debts. The Justice Ministry said the government expected to address up to R$150 billion in individual debt portfolios, with discounts estimated at at least 90% for qualifying accounts. Those are government estimates and program parameters, not a report of debt already written off. The measure authorizes federal participation in purchasing and renegotiating eligible portfolios, subject to rules in the text.
The Associated Press reported that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva described the betting restriction as a response to household indebtedness; it also noted the timing shortly before the presidential first round. The government presented the two initiatives together, but their legal mechanisms differ: one restricts betting activity, while the other establishes debt relief procedures. Both remained subject to legislative review after taking immediate effect.