TLDR Brazil’s Novo party filed an electoral action asking the TSE to remove President Lula and Vice President Alckmin. The party claims the government used 35 regulatory measures to influence the 2026 presidential election. A nationwide fixed-odds betting ban, issued nine days before the first round, is at the center of the complaint. Novo cites government estimates of billions of reais in lost tax revenue from 2026 to 2028. The case was assigned on October 20, and the court has not ruled on any of the claims.
Brazil’s Novo party has filed a legal action with the Superior Electoral Court, known as the TSE, against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin. The party is asking the court to remove both leaders over claims of election interference.
The filing is an Electoral Investigation Action. Novo says the government used 35 regulatory measures in 2026 to influence the presidential election. One of those measures was a nationwide ban on fixed-odds betting.
Novo wants the court to rule that political abuse of power took place. It also asks the court to cancel the candidates’ registration or mandate and bar them from office for eight years.
These are claims made by the party. The court has not ruled on them.
Betting Ban at the Center of the Complaint
The ban came through Provisional Measure No. 1,394 on September 25, 2026. That date was nine days before the first round of voting.
The measure banned fixed-odds betting across Brazil. It covered the offering, intermediation and advertising of bets, including online sports betting and casino wagering.
It also ended existing operator authorizations and required the return of player balances. Lula had earlier signed Law No. 14,790/2023, which created the legal framework for the regulated betting market.
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