The president of Brazil's Regional Federal Court for the 3rd Region (TRF-3), Judge Luís Antonio Johonsom di Salvo, suspended an injunction on Friday that had temporarily allowed three online betting sites to resume operations. The decision restores the nationwide ban on sports betting established by a presidential measure issued in September.
The injunction, granted earlier by TRF-3 Judge Adriana Pileggi, had ordered the suspension of Measure Provisória 1.394/2026 as it applied to CDA Gaming. That company operates the sites Casa de Apostas, Betsul, and Jogo Online. Pileggi ruled that banning a company holding a federal license — for which CDA Gaming paid R$ 30 million (roughly USD 5.4 million at recent rates) with validity until December 31, 2029 — amounted to confiscation and violated constitutional principles of legal certainty and proportionality.
Government appeal
The Attorney General's Office (AGU) appealed Pileggi's decision, arguing that maintaining an exception for a single operator would undermine the uniform application of public policy protecting bettors. Judge di Salvo agreed, writing that the injunction introduced "a scenario of regulatory instability incompatible with the management of a public policy of national reach."
The suspension will remain in effect until the original case reaches a final judgment or the TRF-3 presidency issues a new ruling.
Broader legal battle
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Workers' Party) issued the measure banning betting operations nationwide on September 25, nine days before municipal elections. The National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) and the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR) have challenged the ban at the Supreme Federal Court (STF).
Justice Luiz Fux, the rapporteur, held a public hearing on November 3 with representatives from football clubs, sports entities, the federal government, and regulation experts. During the hearing, Fux stated that betting sites "should be banned."