Brazil Betting Ban Faces Scrutiny at Supreme Court Hearing

Brazil’s debate over fixed-odds betting is set to bring an unusually broad group of stakeholders before the Supreme Federal Court (STF), with football clubs, national sports bodies, government departments and gambling associations all scheduled to present their views on November 3.

The public hearing, called by Justice Luiz Fux, will give 28 selected entities a limited opportunity to address the effects of Provisional Measure 1.394/2026. The measure prohibits fixed-odds betting and terminates existing authorisations, prompting several legal challenges that are now before the court.

Rather than limiting participation to the organisations directly involved in the lawsuits, the hearing brings together groups from across the sports, government and betting sectors. Each invited entity will have 10 minutes to speak.

Football Organisations Take a Prominent Place

The invited participants include football clubs Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo, Cruzeiro, São Paulo and Corinthians, alongside the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB).

The schedule places the football clubs after Fux’s opening remarks, followed by the CBF and COB.

Government institutions will also contribute. The Attorney General’s Office (AGU) is scheduled to speak after lunch, followed by the Ministries of Finance and Sport. The Office of the Prosecutor General is also on the list.

Other invited organisations include the National Confederation of Commerce (CNC), National Confederation of Industry (CNI), Able, Abert and UERJ Reg.

Betting Associations Given Afternoon Slots

The gambling sector will be represented by the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) and the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR). Both are scheduled to speak between 3 p.m. and 3:20 p.m.

ANJL has challenged the provisional measure through ADI 8027, seeking its immediate suspension and a final declaration that it is unconstitutional. The association also asks the STF to uphold the laws regulating fixed-odds betting.

The measure is additionally contested in ADIs 8024, 8028 and 8035. Separate proceedings, ADIs 7721, 7723 and 7749, challenge Law 14.790/2023, commonly known as the Bets Law. These cases have also been assigned to Fux.

The International Gaming Association is listed among the final participants, with the hearing expected to continue until around 5 p.m.

A Limited Window for Each Position

The session will begin at 10 a.m. in the STF’s Second Panel session room. Invited entities must submit their representatives’ names and powers of attorney to [email protected] by 3 p.m. on October 29. Each may appoint up to two representatives.

The hearing follows an earlier STF public session in November 2024, when more than 50 experts, public bodies and civil society representatives discussed challenges to Brazil’s betting legislation.

The AGU later asked the court to hold another hearing, citing developments since the previous discussion, additional evidence and the new provisional measure. The November session will be broadcast by TV Justiça, Rádio Justiça and the STF’s YouTube channel.