IBPE questions executive order that ends fixed-odds betting in the country.
In a statement released this Friday (October 2nd), the Brazilian Institute of Economic Policy (IBPE) said it questions Provisional Measure No. 1.394/2026, which mandated the closure of fixed-odds betting operations in the country. The entity does not question the appropriateness of ending the activity, but the path chosen by the Executive Branch to do so.
IBPE is a multi-sectoral, non-profit organization that brings together companies and associations from different sectors of the economy. In a press release, the organization argues that a regulated sector, operated through concessions and authorizations, was eliminated by a unilateral decision of the government, without any debate with society through the National Congress.
The argument of legal certainty
According to the institute, changes of this magnitude, with impacts on contracts, investments, jobs, and revenue, should undergo extensive discussion in the Legislature and in society. The entity also emphasizes that the proximity of the election calendar makes it even more necessary to unequivocally demonstrate relevance and urgency to justify the issuance of a provisional measure.
IBPE argues that legal certainty presupposes stability and predictability of rules. When the State abruptly alters the conditions of a sector, the institute argues that the risk generated is not limited to that specific activity; "Today it is the betting sector; tomorrow, the same logic could apply to any activity subject to state authorization, concession, or regulation."
Signal for other sectors
The central concern of the statement goes beyond the betting market. The institute warns that if investments made under rules established by the government itself can lose their foundation in the face of a sudden change, every economic agent will incorporate this risk when deciding whether to invest, employ, and produce in Brazil.
The organization rejects the premise that protecting families, promoting public health, and preserving the predictability of investments are incompatible objectives. According to IBPE, a country that intends to attract capital, generate jobs, and grow needs to respect contracts, institutions, and, above all, the very rules it establishes.
What remains open is the processing of the Provisional Measure in Congress. Provisional measures have immediate validity, but need to be converted into law by the Legislature within 120 days, a period in which the debate requested by IBPE could, at least in part, take place.
