Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies removed Article 14 from the Antifaction Bill, which was approved on February 24, 2026, eliminating the 15% proposed tax on deposits made to...
Brazil industry hits back at President’s urge to ban iGaming
The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is facing criticism from the licensed gambling industry after urging the government to ban online gambling in the country.
During his speech on International Women’s Day on March 8, 2026, da Silva called gambling a tragedy for the nation and stressed that, despite most gamblers being men, the burden still falls on women. He added that the money that’s supposed to go to food, rent, and children’s school goes to online bets.
da Silva commented:
“Gambling dens are prohibited in Brazil. It makes no sense to allow gambling to enter homes, indebting families through cell phones. Let’s work together, uniting the government, Congress, and the judiciary, so that these digital casinos don’t continue to indebt families and destroy homes.”
For the record, the government of President da Silva was the one to regulate online gambling in Brazil in December 2023.
The industry hit back at the president’s comments after the speech, with the Association of Women in the Gaming Industry (AMIG) writing in a blog post on March 8, 2026, that da Silva’s statements caused surprise and concern.
AMIG stated:
“Taking advantage of a moment that should be one of celebrating Brazilian women to threaten a measure that could have a direct impact on working women who support their families ethically and with dignity, cannot be acceptable under any circumstances or scenario.”
Although da Silva’s government was the one to regulate iGaming in the country, it has since made many attempts to restrict the activities of licensed operators, as a gradual rise in the gambling tax from 12% to 15% will begin in 2028.
The Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) has approved B3 to launch the country’s first prediction market for professional investors.B3 plans to launch in...
