President Lula has actually shifted firmly into "early campaign mode" as the Senate weighs brand-new securities for social networks platforms. Leonardo Biazzi and Elisa Marcante report on how the outstanding regulations of the Bets program are being reframed through a broader lens of 'civic responsibilities'... political bargaining is anticipated in an election year.

The PT federal government has actually threatened to take a 'tougher direction' on betting as a brand-new round of finger-wagging starts in Brazilian politics over the governance of an unsettled online market.

On Monday (9 February), speaking at a health care and education top in São Paulo, President Inácio 'Lula' da Silva when again delivered a speech important of the 'Bets' regulatory regime for online wagering.

Though launched under his tenure in 2025, President Lula proclaims that he has been among the greatest challengers of online betting, preserving that he holds "really severe issues" about the sector.

In early campaign mode, as he prepares to combat for a 4th governmental term, Lula told audiences: "We will take a very severe action versus the 'bets'. They are taking money from the bad people of this nation."

Lula makes 'BBB' stance clear

The rhetoric lines up with the PT federal government's populist slogan of "BBB Tax - billionaires, banks and bets" - a message that will be relayed to citizens ahead of Brazil's General Election on 4 October.

There is no ambiguity in the President's stance, with the industry now securely in his sights. Lula was vital of all activities, specifying: "I found out to be versus betting. I was versus gambling establishments and the prohibited numbers video game because the church taught me that I had to oppose gambling.

"What is taking place today is that the casino has actually gone inside people's homes. It remains in the living-room, in your kids's hands."

The President washing his party's hands of gambling liabilities will amaze nobody. Yet anxieties remain among licensees, who now face fresh curveballs over how Brazil plans to settle the exceptional affairs of its still-maturing online betting program.

Political interventions continued today as Brasília signified that gambling will once again sit at the centre of a more comprehensive cultural and regulative debate.

Brazil considers social networks restrictions

On the very same day as Lula's remarks, Bloomberg reported that the federal government is preparing a presidential decree aimed at enhancing kid defenses in online environments.

Citing a draft text, Bloomberg laid out propositions that would need app shops and digital platforms to carry out robust age-verification systems to prevent minors from accessing gaming, porn and other age-restricted content.

The required could see Brazil end up being the first South American country to present specific digital gain access to constraints extending beyond simple self-declared age checks. The Senate is anticipated to take a look at proposals for a government-backed confirmation structure, alongside data-protection safeguards designed to deal with personal privacy concerns.

The timing is considerable. By linking betting to wider issues around youth direct exposure and digital harm, the PT federal government appears to be putting betting within a more comprehensive civic and social-protection story.

Brazil now joins a growing list of nations weighing stricter controls on social networks platforms. Australia has already carried out a restriction on under-16 access to specific platforms, while Spain and a number of European states are analyzing comparable limitations.

President Lula has long been critical of Silicon Valley technology companies, and numerous PT figures have freely assaulted X (formerly Twitter), implicating the platform of deliberately spreading out false information in Brazil.

Trade-off on gambling advertisements

Elsewhere, developments are speeding up in Brasília. In 2026, the Senate and Chamber of Deputies should settle the final regards to a specific costs attending to gaming marketing - an issue that has actually rapidly intensified from regulatory fine-tuning to the possibility of a nationwide prohibition.

Proceedings have actually already collected pace. The Senate's Science and Technology Committee (CCT) has actually approved an expense supplying for a nationwide ban on wagering marketing and sponsorships, backed by rapporteur Damares Alves (Republicanos-DF).

The proposal amends the structure of Law No. 14,790/ 2023 and now advances to the Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ) before a prospective plenary vote.

Industry stakeholders, including the Instituto Brasileiro de Jogo Responsável (IBJR) trade body, have warned that a blanket ban threats destabilising the regulated market just as it tries to develop.

Yet the gambling marketing decree remains in its infancy, with no political bloc in Congress or the Senate honestly stating which costs they mean to support.

Keeping cards close to the chest is an expected method in an election year. The governance of gambling divides viewpoint not just in between the PT federal government and the Bolsonaro family-led Liberal Party, however within celebration ranks themselves.