Lula links Novo Desenrola to compulsory block on betting platforms
The Brazilian government announced a deep overhaul of its debt renegotiation programme.
The Novo Desenrola Brasil, introducing a measure that directly affects the operation of online betting platforms in the country.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva confirmed that any citizen joining the initiative to settle debts will be automatically barred from accessing betting sites for one year.
The measure takes effect next Monday and aims to prevent the financial breathing room generated by discounts of up to 90% and reduced interest rates of 1.99% per month from flowing back into the gambling market.
The decision was accompanied by pointed rhetoric from the president on the impact of bets on the budgets of low-income families earning up to five minimum wages.
“It is not fair that women have to work even harder to pay their husbands’ gambling debts,” Lula said.
The block will apply only to the 84 operators authorised by the Ministry of Finance. Lotteries and illegal sites fall outside the scope of the measure.
Despite the government’s narrative framing betting as a driver of household debt, recent data from the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting and LCA Consultoria Econômica offer a more analytical picture.
In 2025, the regulated market recorded a GGR of R$37 billion, representing just 0.46% of total household consumption.
53.3% of bettors spending up to R$50 per month.
Specialists argue the financial impact does not justify the diagnosis that the sector alone is responsible for the record 29.7% of household income committed to debt.
Brazil closes three-day technical meeting on sports integrity
The Brazilian government concluded the II National Technical Meeting on Combating Sports Results Manipulation in Brasília.
The three-day event brought together the Ministries of Finance, Sport and Justice and consolidated the main interinstitutional forum for sports integrity policy.
A highlight was the announcement of a suspicious betting analysis system developed by the Federal Police, designed to organise strategic data and support complex fraud investigations.
The government also launched the second edition of the National Manual on Combating Sports Results Manipulation.
The formalisation of the National Prevention and Anti-Manipulation Policy (Portaria 1/2026) was presented as a concrete output of the working group.
Secretary Daniele Cardoso said the measure turns integrity into a state public policy.
The meeting also announced the first distance-learning course on the topic from the National Police Academy.
The presence of Federal Police Director-General Andrei Rodrigues and representatives from UNODC underlined the international dimension of the cooperation framework.
ANJL questions Desenrola 2 block and points to contradictions
A debtor with R$20,000 in credit card debt who bets R$50 per month will be blocked from licensed betting platforms under Desenrola 2, but will retain access to banks and finance companies charging even higher interest rates.
That asymmetry is at the centre of the critique from the Associação Nacional de Jogos e Loterias (ANJL), which represents licensed betting operators in Brazil.
The association acknowledges the government’s intent but flags what it calls “extremely relevant” contradictions.
Studies from Pay4Fun and LCA Consultoria indicate that betting expenditure is not among the main drivers of household debt in Brazil.
The primary causes, the ANJL argues, are the revolving credit card and overdraft interest rates that Desenrola 2 does not restrict.
The association’s most concrete concern is operational: bettors blocked on the 84 licensed platforms are likely to migrate to the thousands of illegal sites still operating in the country.
This would strengthen a segment with no commitment to the financial or mental health of users.
The ANJL says it supports measures that combat the perception of betting as easy money or investment.
Its position is that such initiatives must be proportional to the real causes of household indebtedness.
Latam iGaming lawyers make their mark at the world’s most important gaming law conference
A panel featuring five gaming law specialists from five countries was one of the highlights of the International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL) Spring Conference, held April 29 to May 1 at the Ritz Carlton Pentagon City, in Arlington, Virginia (Washington, D.C. area).
The IMGL is an invitation-only association of 300+ members, including private practice attorneys, Chief Legal Officers of the world’s largest gaming firms, and advisors to national regulators.
Its biannual conferences are considered the premier forum for intellectual exchange and networking in global gaming law.
Neil Montgomery, from Montgomery, one of the most recognised names in iGaming law across the region.
They shared the panel with Tomás Enrique García Botta, Luis Portela de Carvalho, Jaime Rivera-Emmanuelli and Juan Camilo Carrasco.
They were representing Argentina, Portugal, Puerto Rico and Colombia, respectively.
Montgomery described the reception as strong: “Very pleased to see the panel I spoke on being acclaimed by those watching,” he said after the closing session.
“This was a great conference. Thanks to the organizers for another impeccable experience. See you next in Paris.”
The prominence of a Latin American bloc at IMGL reflects the region’s growing regulatory weight in the global debate.
Brazil, Colombia and Argentina are home to some of the most active licensing processes in the world over the past 24 months.
Their legal specialists are now claiming space in forums historically dominated by European and North American voices.
The next IMGL conference takes place in Paris.
