Brazil: Betting Platforms Become Unavailable and Refunds of Balances Begin

What changes from October 6

The websites and apps of fixed-odds betting platforms affected by the shutdown of operations will begin to become unavailable in Brazil starting Tuesday, October 6, 2026. The measure covers sports betting and online games in that category and forms part of the process established by Provisional Measure 1,394/2026 and the schedule set by the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting of the Ministry of Finance.

The deadline for users to voluntarily withdraw their money ended at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, October 5. According to the official figures cited in coverage, as of October 2, 1.453 billion reais remained on the platforms, distributed among 28.65 million CPF holders with a positive balance. This figure reflects that cutoff and does not indicate how much remains after the voluntary withdrawal deadline.

Schedule for refunding outstanding balances

Users who did not withdraw their funds before the deadline do not lose their right to receive them for that reason. The schedule provides for companies to inform financial institutions of the remaining balances and account holders’ details between October 6 and 7. The information must make it possible to identify each user by their CPF and link the balance to the bank account from which the deposits originated.

Bank refunds are scheduled for October 9 through 14. If an operational obstacle prevents them from being made, Caixa Econômica Federal may step in as an intermediary starting October 14. The cited regulation provides for the refund to an active deposit or payment account in the bettor’s name, preferably to the account from which the deposits originated when that account is still active and belongs to the account holder.

The schedule describes the general procedure; the sources do not explain how every possible individual case will be resolved. Nor do they support the claim that every refund will necessarily be completed within the scheduled dates.

Obligations that continue after the shutdown

The websites becoming unavailable does not immediately extinguish companies’ responsibilities. According to Ordinance 3,005/2026, operators must bring their financial and regulatory obligations into compliance by December 15, 2026, without prejudice to specific deadlines set by the Secretariat. They must also keep their contact details up to date and report certain changes—such as those concerning the legal representative, address, telephone number, or official email address—within a maximum of 48 hours. Each company must appoint a legal representative to monitor outstanding obligations.

Removing betting-related advertisements is among the announced measures. In parallel, the Government reported that between September 25 and October 1 it referred 10,435 websites considered illegal for blocking, in addition to reporting pages, profiles, and apps linked to that offering. These actions are distinct from the shutdown of platforms that were authorized to operate.

Challenges and scope of the measure

The National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) and the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR) asked the Federal Supreme Court for an interim measure to halt the restrictions. They also challenged the instruction to redirect former betting domains to an informational page run by the Government. The available coverage does not report a court decision suspending the schedule; therefore, the challenges should be understood as requests from the organizations, not as a ruling by the court.

The scope described covers fixed-odds sports betting and online games in Brazilian territory. One report states that other lottery formats authorized by law are excluded from the ban. The available material does not support extending the measure to other activities or jurisdictions.