Brazilian court temporarily allows three banned betting platforms to resume operations

The federal government charged a company 30 million reais in 2025 for authorization to operate fixed-odds betting until December 2029. In September 2026, the same government decided to prohibit the activity and extinguish the authorization within thirty days, stating it would not return a single cent of the amount received.

CDA Gaming, responsible for the brands Casa de Apostas, Betsul and Jogo Online, obtained authorization through Ordinance SPA/MF No. 255/2025 after paying the 30 million reais grant. A provisional measure signed by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in September ordered the closure of betting house operations across the country.

“The invocation of public interest does not eliminate the need to respect commitments assumed by the administration.”

In the first instance, the injunction was denied based on the argument that the public interest in protecting the population from the negative effects of betting should prevail over the legal certainty invoked by the company. The Federal Regional Court of the 3rd Region reached a different conclusion.

On November 3, federal appeals judge Adriana Pileggi de Soveral granted anticipatory tutelage to restore CDA Gaming's authorization. The decision was issued in Instrument Appeal No. 5034200-15.2026.4.03.0000 regarding Provisional Measure No. 1394/2026.

The judge considered that the company had made significant financial and technical investments legitimately under a legal regime established by the government itself. She stated that abruptly interrupting activities could cause significant losses to a company that had met requirements previously set by the public authority.

The magistrate also questioned the possibility of the government unilaterally changing the conditions of an authorization granted upon payment. She noted that ending operations without compensation for investments made could represent a form of confiscation.

The judicial authorization applies exclusively to the three platforms linked to the company that filed the request and does not represent a general release of the sector.