TLDR Brazil’s Finance Ministry says it has no studies on the impact of banning sports betting and online gambling. Finance Minister Dario Durigan says the ban will reduce Selective Tax revenue in 2027. A joint committee to review the measure could be set up this week. The government rejects any change that keeps sports betting legal while banning online casinos. A final vote could slip to 2027 if Congress does not finish before the year-end recess.
Brazil’s Finance Ministry says it has no studies on what a ban on sports betting and online gambling would do to the economy. The admission comes as Congress prepares to review a government measure that would outlaw both activities.
The government wants the provisional measure, known as an MP, approved without changes. Lawmakers could begin formal review as soon as this week, though a final vote may slip into 2027.
Under the measure as written, both sports betting and online casino games would be banned. The government has made clear it wants the full ban to pass as one package.
No Studies Behind the Ban
In a response to an information request, the Finance Ministry said it found no studies, technical notes, legal opinions or reports on the impact of a full or partial ban. The request covered fixed-odds betting, online gambling and gambling advertising.
The ministry said such projections could not be made without building scenarios and making economic and behavioral assumptions. It added that the work would require technical studies across several fields.
Finance Minister Dario Durigan also said on Thursday that ending betting operations would reduce government revenue from the Selective Tax in 2027. The government had included betting companies in its earlier revenue estimates.
Durigan said the expected shortfall will need to be built into the 2027