Bets goes offline with R$ 1,33 billion still in bettors' accounts.

The deadline for bettors to voluntarily withdraw their balances from fixed-odds betting platforms ended at 11:59 pm this Monday (5). This was the first stage of the sector closure schedule set by Provisional Measure No. 1.394/2026. Since midnight this Tuesday (6), the websites and apps of operators that were authorized by the Ministry of Finance must be offline.

In the latest balance sheet from the Treasury, released on Monday itself, there were still R$ 1,33 billion in 26,5 million CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID) holders with a positive balance. The money is not lost: the refund will be made by the financial institutions that process payments from betting houses, with completion scheduled for October 14th.

The shutdown occurs 11 days after the issuance of the Provisional Measure, signed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on September 25, nine days before the first round of elections. The regulated market had been operating since January 1, 2025.

There was an assessment within the government that the ban would help Lula win votes. However, the president's performance in the first round fell short of expectations, with Flávio Bolsonaro leading in the polls, as reported by O Globo.

Withdrawals total R$ 775,6 million in ten days.

Bettors withdrew R$ 775,6 million between the publication of the Provisional Measure and Monday (5), according to data from the Treasury reported by the newspaper O Globo. The amount is equivalent to about 37% of the balance that was on the platforms. According to the Minister of Finance, Dario Durigan, the accounts totaled R$ 2,1 billion on September 25. On Friday (2), he reported that R$ 652 million had already been withdrawn and that R$ 1,4 billion remained. On Monday (5), the balance had fallen to R$ 1,33 billion.

The official figures changed throughout the period. The first estimate from the Prizes and Betting Secretariat (SPA) spoke of R$ 1,7 billion to be returned to 22,9 million bettors. Days later, the minister began using R$ 2,1 billion as the starting figure, and the final balance records 26,5 million bettors.

Balance concentrated in 1% of accounts.

Most accounts hold residual values. About 92% of those with a positive balance have less than R$ 10, and more than 96% have less than R$ 25, according to the Treasury.

The money is in the hands of a few: 1% of accounts hold 80% of the balance, equivalent to approximately R$ 1,06 billion. Other breakdowns from the same survey show that 3,4% of accounts concentrate 90% and 8,3% account for 96% of the resources. The percentages refer to accounts, and the same CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID) may be registered with more than one operator.

Durigan also reported that 48 accounts with balances exceeding R$ 500 are being monitored by the Treasury Department in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. According to the minister, the authorized operators were moving around R$ 600 million per day before the ban.

Refunds will be sent to banks by October 14th.

Those who did not withdraw their funds by Monday will receive the balance without needing to make a new request. The operators inform the banks, by CPF (Brazilian tax identification number), how much each bettor is entitled to receive and the account from which the deposits originated. The credit should preferably be made to the account that the bettor used to transfer funds to the platform, provided it is active.

If the originating account is closed, the Provisional Measure allows the transfer to another account belonging to the same holder. Banks have seven days, from the date of receiving the data, to complete the reimbursement. Operators must prove to the SPA (Portuguese Securities Market Commission) that they have the funds available and maintain records of bets, deposits, withdrawals, and balances accessible to the authorities for at least five years.

The return of funds by banks does not eliminate the company's responsibility for discrepancies or undisclosed amounts. Therefore, it is recommended to keep proof of balance, deposits, and withdrawal requests. The Treasury Department informed that guidelines regarding the Caixa's (Brazilian bank) next steps will be released later.

Bets that are still open and have no result determined by the deadline should be voided, with a full refund of the amount wagered. Those that had a result determined by Monday will have their prize paid normally. The deadline for removing advertising and sponsorship signs related to betting also ended on Monday.

Traffic redirected to government website.

The National Secretariat for Digital Rights of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security determined, in an official letter sent to operators on Friday night (2), that the traffic of betting sites be redirected, starting this Tuesday, to the address brasilsembets.gov.br. The request also requires that domains, subdomains, IP addresses and APIs of the operators be made unavailable. Those who fail to comply are subject to sanctions and compulsory blocking by Anatel and the Internet Steering Committee in Brazil (CGI.br).

The order covers applications for mobile phones, computers, and smart TVs. The government argues that the measure is in the public interest because the portal brings together guidelines on how to redeem balances and campaigns about the risks of gambling and preventing over-indebtedness.

The National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) reacted in a statement. According to the organization, the requirement creates an obligation not foreseen in the Provisional Measure and confuses concepts of public and private law. The association considers it inconsistent that authorized companies, which paid a grant of R$ 30 million and taxes, are treated as "instruments of official communication."

ANJL classified the decision as politically motivated and legally illegal, and advised its members not to implement the requirement, according to O Globo. Folha de S.Paulo reported that some operators have already warned that they will not comply with the redirection.

According to Durigan, the regulated market comprised 85 companies and approximately 180 brands. The government collected R$ 2,5 billion from the licenses, granted for a period of five years, a central point in the lawsuits that the sector brought to the Supreme Federal Court.

In the fight against illegal services, the Ministries of Justice and Finance requested the takedown of 5.209 websites between September 27th and 29th, and Anatel (the Brazilian telecommunications agency) ordered the blocking of 2.387 domains. Another 186 applications were notified to be removed from the Apple and Google app stores by Tuesday. The president of ANJL (National Association of Legal Journalists), Plínio Lemos Jorge, states that the government does not disclose how many addresses were actually blocked and that new websites appear minutes after each takedown.

Fundraising and football feel the impact.

Taxation of mobile operators has yielded R$ 15,3 billion to the Brazilian government since the beginning of 2025, according to data from the Federal Revenue Service cited by O Globo. This includes R$ 8,94 billion in 2025 and R$ 6,32 billion between January and August of this year, resources that count towards meeting the fiscal target.

In football, betting companies paid out R$1,1 billion to the country's main clubs in 2025, equivalent to 36% of these teams' marketing revenue, according to data presented by the government itself. The deadline for removing brands and materials linked to sponsorship contracts also ended on Monday.

The dispute continues in Congress and the Supreme Court.

The end of the withdrawal deadline does not end the dispute over the ban. The provisional measure is in effect, but it needs to be approved by Congress within 120 days to remain valid, and it may be amended during the legislative process.

The president of Congress, Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP), extended the deadline for submitting amendments until October 13th. The text has already received 42 amendments, some of which were later withdrawn by their authors. One of the proposals, from Congressman Pedro Aihara (PP-MG), restricts the prohibition to slot games and preserves sports betting. There are also amendments regarding advertising and sponsorship contracts and the amounts paid in concessions.

In the Judiciary, ANJL and the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR) filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Federal Court on September 28th to try to overturn the measure. The entities argue that the abrupt interruption of activities generates legal uncertainty and disregards the deadlines of paid authorizations. ADIs 8024, 8027, and 8028 are under the jurisdiction of Minister Luiz Fux, as reported by BNLData.

The government is still expected to send a bill to Congress with harsher penalties for those who operate or advertise betting. According to Estadão, the draft increases by one-third the penalty for those who operate fixed-odds betting when the object is a virtual online gambling event.