Flávio Bolsonaro Reportedly Says Congress Will Restore Brazilian Betting

Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro reportedly told senior Globo executives that Congress had already agreed to bring back online betting, raising the prospect of changes to the country’s recently introduced prohibition.

According to TheGamblest, Bolsonaro made the remarks during a meeting at Globo’s headquarters in Rio de Janeiro before his televised interview on October 16. The reported assurance does not constitute a legislative decision to reopen the market. 

The congressional record for Provisional Measure 1,394, which introduced the ban, continued to list the measure as awaiting installation of its reviewing committee on October 21. 

Globo Meeting Draws Attention to Betting Interests

Globo confirmed that Bolsonaro met group chairman João Roberto Marinho and institutional relations vice-president Paulo Tonet. The broadcaster said its journalism leadership did not participate and described institutional visits by election candidates as routine. 

The media group has a direct commercial connection to the betting sector through its partnership with MGM Resorts International in Boa Lion, the operator behind BetMGM in Brazil. TheGamblest reported that the prohibition also removed betting advertising and sponsorship revenue from Globo’s channels and sports broadcasts.

Bolsonaro had previously publicly opposed online gambling while supporting the continued operation of physical betting outlets, arguing that they could be controlled more effectively. His reported comments to Globo therefore leave questions about the scope of any reopening he expects Congress to support. 

Licence Deadline Arrives Before Congressional Timetable

Published on September 25, Provisional Measure 1,394 prohibits the operation, provision, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds betting. It covers sports betting and online games, including services offered from overseas to people in Brazil.

The measure required betting websites and applications to become unavailable from October 6. Existing authorisations are scheduled to be extinguished on October 25, the date of the presidential runoff. The Senate’s explanation distinguishes this formal licensing deadline from the earlier requirement to stop offering betting services. 

Lawmakers submitted 99 amendments before the October 13 deadline, according to the congressional record. The measure is scheduled to enter an urgency regime on November 9, giving it priority and obstructing consideration of other business under the applicable congressional rules.

Its initial consideration period ends on November 23, with provision for a further 60-day extension. Those parliamentary deadlines fall after the scheduled termination of existing betting authorisations, leaving operators facing the October 25 deadline while the legislative review remains unfinished.