Gambling Regulation Roundup: Brazil’s Top Court Freezes Betting Cases, CFTC Targets Geoblocks and More

This roundup covers gambling regulation developments from 6 to 10 November 2026. Brazil’s Supreme Court has frozen lower-court cases on the betting ban, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has issued an interpretation on geographic access restrictions, a South African court has set aside the National Lottery licence award, and a commission is reviewing the UK Gambling Act. Ireland, Lithuania and Argentina have pending items.

Brazil

On 6 November 2026 the President of the Federal Regional Court of the 3rd Region (TRF-3), judge Johonsom Di Salvo, suspended the interim relief that CDA Gaming had been granted earlier that week. The Attorney General’s Office (AGU) asked for the suspension, and Agência Gov reported that Di Salvo extended to CDA Gaming the effects of his 10 October decision that stopped Stake Brasil from operating. CND reported the original relief in its 7 November roundup. The authorisation stays suspended until final judgment of the original case or a further TRF-3 decision.

On 8 November Justice Luiz Fux of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) went further. In his decision in ADI 8,027, granted at the request of Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet, he suspended all first- and second-instance proceedings that discuss the constitutionality of Provisional Measure 1,394/2026. The suspension lasts until the STF decides ADIs 8,024, 8,027, 8,028 and 8,035. Fux cited the risk of divergent rulings and the “potencial liberação de atividade reconhecidamente danosa e de elevado risco social” (the potential release of an activity recognised as harmful and of high social risk).

The decision does not rule on the measure itself. It does not suspend Provisional Measure 1,394/2026, and the ban on fixed-odds betting stays in force. It is a single-judge decision “ad referendum” of the Plenary, so the full court must still confirm it, and no date has been set. Separately, the measure’s initial 60-day deliberation period in Congress ends on 23 November 2026. CND covered the 3 November public hearing in an earlier story; see CND’s guide to gambling in Brazil.

United States

On 5 November 2026 the CFTC issued an interpretation of the “Impartial Access Requirements” in Regulation 38.151(b). Designated contract markets (DCMs), the federally regulated exchanges that include Kalshi and Polymarket US, must provide competitive, open, fair and impartial access. According to the CFTC press release, DCMs must end domestic geographic restrictions that violate those requirements within 30 days, or explain to the Division of Market Oversight why compliance is not feasible. Thirty days from 5 November is 5 December 2026.

Chairman Michael S. Selig said: “Geographic access restrictions are inconsistent with those purposes and the Act’s impartial access requirements.” The interpretation argues that location limits hurt risk management, fragment liquidity and distort price discovery. It names sports-related contracts and election markets as examples.

It does not mention state law or court orders. Some prediction markets geoblock states after cease-and-desist orders and court rulings, and the CFTC has not said how the interpretation applies to them. See CND’s guide to US gambling laws.

South Africa

The High Court in Pretoria has set aside Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau’s decision to award the fourth National Lottery and Sports Pools licence to Sizekhaya Holdings, and declared the licence agreement with the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) invalid. The judgment, dated 2 November 2026, followed review applications by Ithuba Lottery and the Ringeta Consortium. The court found flaws in the process, specifically the role of the ministerial committee Tau appointed in the final selection, and ordered him to reconsider the award without relying on that committee’s report.

The declaration of invalidity is suspended for two consecutive six-month periods, the first for the reconsideration and the second for a new licence and transition if another applicant is chosen, so the lottery continues to operate. EWN reported that Sizekhaya said the court made no adverse findings against it and that it is “business as usual”. TimesLive reported that Ithuba said the judgment vindicated its stance. The department and the NLC had not commented in the reports seen by CND. The ruling concerns the national lottery, not casino or online gambling law, which is covered in CND’s guide to gambling in South Africa.

United Kingdom

A newly formed independent Gambling Policy Commission has opened a review of whether the Gambling Act 2005 is still fit for purpose or a new Act is needed, iGaming Business reported. It is chaired by Professor Jagjit Chadha of the University of Cambridge. The call for evidence closes on 12 February 2027 and a final report is planned for 2028. Chadha said: “Our purpose is to examine the evidence carefully and independently.” It is not a government body and has no direct bearing on policy. CND’s guide to UK gambling laws covers the current rules.

Pending elsewhere

Ireland: the Department of Justice said on 6 November that talks on commencing the advertising watershed under section 149 of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 are “actively ongoing”, but no date can be committed to (SBC News; Gambling.com). Lithuania: a coalition working group agreed in principle on 5 November on a progressive tax on gambling licences, with no rates or bands yet agreed (SBC News). Argentina: Senate majority leader Patricia Bullrich said on 9 November that the Senate will take up the online betting and gambling-harm bill in the coming weeks; it loses parliamentary status if not passed by 30 November 2026 (Yogonet).