MP 1.394 Bans Betting in Brazil and Sets Deadline of October 5 for Balance Withdrawals

Provisional Measure (MP) No. 1.394, published on September 25, 2026, in an extraordinary edition of the DOU, bans sports betting and online gaming in Brazil. Bettors may withdraw their balances voluntarily until 11:59 p.m. on October 5; after that deadline, banks will return remaining funds between October 9 and 14.

The measure takes effect from the date of publication but must be voted on by the Câmara and the Senado within 120 days to become permanent law. New deposits on the platforms have been prohibited since the announcement, as stated by Finance Minister Dario Durigan.

Pending Bets and Destination Account

Fixed-odds bets whose outcome has not been determined within the deadline established by the MP will be considered void. In such cases, the measure provides for the full return of the wagered amount, without any deductions.

The funds will be returned preferably to the bank account from which the funds originated, provided it is active and held by the bettor. If that account is unavailable, the transfer may be made to another account held by the same person. The bank-mediated return applies to betting operators that were authorized by the federal government.

Sanctions Regime

The MP provides for escalating sanctions against internet application providers, app stores, and operating systems that fail to take measures to remove betting content, advertisements, or services. Fines may reach 10% of the respective economic group's revenue in the country for the most recent fiscal year. When no revenue is on record, the amount ranges from R$ 10 to R$ 1,000 per registered user, capped at R$ 50 million per violation, according to a report by g1.

Operators that fail to comply with restitution obligations are subject to a daily fine of R$ 200,000 until regularization. The Ministério da Fazenda and the Ministério da Justiça may order the blocking or redirection of pages offering betting, with Anatel enforcing the orders with connectivity companies.

Betting Industry Reaction

Industry associations stated, in a note cited by g1, that 31 million people use legalized platforms in the country. The associations stated they are taking steps to overturn the MP and will bring the matter to court.