Deputy Aliel advocates end of bets and punishment for those who spread illegal gambling

The federal deputy and leader of Partido Verde in the Chamber of Deputies, Aliel Machado (PV-PR), once again defended the end of betting in Brazil. The deputy leader of the Federal Government, the parliamentarian also said that illegal platforms and people who disclose these bets should be penalized. For now, bets are banned through Medida Provisória and the Congresso Nacional will decide whether or not to definitively terminate the platforms in the coming months.

In Brasilia for the activities of the mandate, Aliel highlighted that Brazilian families need protection. In addition, he explained that there are movements for the return of bets, but that this cannot occur. “It is time to tackle this issue seriously. I will closely follow this discussion in the Chamber of Deputies and will not measure efforts to ban bets from the country," he said.

Even with Medida Provisória no 1.394/2026 that banned betting in Brazil, a recent study released by the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) shows that approximately 34,000 illegal platforms continue to operate in the country. Faced with this scenario, Aliel has also advocated harsh punishments for illegal bets and for people who disclose this type of bet. Finally, he advanced his 'yes' vote to the end of the bets.

Congress will define the future of bets

The Medida Provisória that ends the exploration, offer, intermediation and advertising of fixed-rate bets in the country, the so-called bets, was published by the President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, on September 25 of this year. Because it is an MP, it has a validity of 60 days, extendable by another 60 - totaling 120 days. Because of this, federal deputies and senators will need to vote for the end or not of bets in Brazil.

Until the matter is assessed, which will still form a 'Mixed Committee' for discussion of the Medida Provisória, the Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF) held audiência pública to discuss the health risks and the advancement of the illegal betting market. Several entities participated at the time, including representatives of football clubs and sports organizations, federal government bodies, members of the economic sector, associations linked to betting and experts in regulation.

For ministro Alexandre Padilha, from the Ministry of Health (MS), the demand for care in the Unified Health System (SUS) related to gambling addiction grew more than 200% between 2018 and 2026. He also highlighted the risk of suicide associated with gambling disorder and the difficulties faced by people who need specialized treatment, especially women. Finally, he pointed out that the regulation is not enough to contain the damage of the bets.

The end of bets increases food consumption

According to the Brazilian Association of Supermarkets (Abras), the end of online gambling platforms has caused food sales to increase in Brazil. The entity points out that there was a 6.5% increase between October 5 and 11, compared to the same week of 2025; and an increase of 6.3% between October 12 and 18 - some regions of the country, such as the South, and in Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo and the interior of Rio, the increase reached almost 11%.

Abras explained that after consulting with Banco Central, the number of transactions per Pix fell by 10% as soon as bets were banned – the main means of payment and/or trading on the platforms. "Our expectation is that bets will continue to be banned. This is very important, because supermarkets sell quality of life and health, and what we have observed is that bets sell a social disease," said Márcio Milan, vice president of the Association.

“We cannot treat this issue just as an economic or market discussion. We are talking about indebted families, people getting sick and money that should guarantee food, education and quality of life being lost in gambling. We need to protect the population, combat illegal platforms and hold accountable those who profit by publicizing this type of activity," concluded Aliel Machado.

With information from the advisory office.

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