Brazil casinos have been illegal since 1946, and there is no legal casino anywhere in the country today. Online betting had a short licensed run: a regulated market for sports betting and online casino games opened on January 1, 2025, but a provisional measure published on September 25, 2026 banned fixed-odds betting nationwide and ordered every licensed site to shut down. Caixa-run lotteries remain the main legal way to gamble in Brazil.
Brazil gambling at a glance
| Land-based casinos | Banned since April 1946 |
|---|---|
| Online sports betting and casino games | Banned by Provisional Measure 1,394/2026; licensed sites had to go offline from October 6, 2026 |
| Legal options | Federal lotteries run by Caixa and other lottery types allowed by law |
| Casino legalization bill | PL 2234/2022, still waiting for a Senate vote |
| Last checked | November 2026 |
What is legal in Brazil now
The only forms of gambling that are clearly legal are the lotteries allowed by federal law, led by the games run by Caixa Econômica Federal. Casinos, slot halls and table games such as roulette and blackjack are not legal in any state. The jogo do bicho, Brazil’s famous animal lottery, is still everywhere in daily life but operates outside the law.
Online betting is now illegal too. Provisional Measure 1,394/2026 bans the operation, offering, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds bets across Brazil. It covers bets on real sporting events, including football, and online games, which is how Brazilian law classes online slots and other casino titles. It applies to foreign companies taking bets from people in Brazil, and it also ended betting licensed by individual states. Lottery types that other laws allow are not affected.
The 2026 ban on betting and online casino sites
The measure took effect when it was published on September 25, 2026, and set a short timetable:
- New deposits were banned from September 25.
- Players could withdraw their balances until 11:59 p.m. on October 5.
- From October 6, betting sites and apps had to be unavailable in Brazil, including in app stores.
- All existing federal licences were cancelled on October 25, with no refund of licence fees.
- Advertising and sponsorship aimed at Brazilians was banned, and existing ads had to come down within ten days.
Bets still open ten days after the measure was published were voided and the stakes returned. Operators had to send refunds to an account in the bettor’s own name, or to a dedicated account at Caixa when that was not possible. Platforms that ignore the ban face fines of up to 10% of the group’s revenue in Brazil and possible suspension.
A provisional measure has the force of law straight away, but Congress has to approve it within 120 days for it to become permanent. Betting companies have also challenged it at the Supreme Federal Court, which held a public hearing on the case (ADI 8027) on November 3, 2026, with Justice Luiz Fux as rapporteur. A request to suspend the measure was still pending after that hearing.
How Brazil got here: a short history
Casinos were legal and fashionable in Brazil in the first half of the 20th century, with famous gaming rooms at the Copacabana Palace and the Urca casino in Rio de Janeiro. On April 30, 1946, President Eurico Gaspar Dutra banned gambling by decree and the casinos closed overnight. The Palácio Quitandinha in Petrópolis, built as a grand hotel and casino, never got its casino era back; it is now a Sesc cultural center.
After 1946, the jogo do bicho became the bet most Brazilians could actually reach. It started in the late 19th century as a way to raise money for the Rio de Janeiro zoo and spread as an informal lottery with its own rules. Lotteries run by Caixa became the only widely accepted legal form of gambling.
Online betting took a long road. Law 13,756 of 2018 legalized fixed-odds betting on paper, but the rules came only with Law 14,790 of 2023, which took full effect on January 1, 2025. By June 2026 the Ministry of Finance had authorized 187 betting platforms, and the market paid R$9.95 billion in taxes in its first year. Less than two years after it opened, the licensed market was banned.
Will Brazil legalize casinos?
A bill to legalize casinos, bingo halls and the jogo do bicho, PL 2234/2022, has passed the Chamber of Deputies and cleared the Senate’s Constitution and Justice Committee, but it has not had a final Senate vote. In December 2025 the Senate rejected a request to fast-track it, so it moves under the regular procedure. Until it passes and is signed, casinos stay illegal.
Older lists of “Brazilian casinos” were mostly racetracks and the former Quitandinha hotel. None of them is a licensed casino with table games or casino games.
Where to play instead
Several of Brazil’s neighbors have legal, licensed casinos. See our guides to Argentina, Paraguay, Peru, Chile and Colombia. Portuguese speakers heading to Europe can look at our Portugal and Spain guides.
If you live in the United States, our online casino section explains which sites are licensed by state regulators and which are offshore operators without a US state licence.
Brazil casino FAQ
Are there any legal casinos in Brazil?
No. Casinos have been banned since 1946, and no casino legalization bill has become law.
Is online gambling legal in Brazil?
Not any more. Provisional Measure 1,394/2026 banned fixed-odds sports betting and online casino games from September 25, 2026, and licensed sites had to go offline from October 6. It also applies to foreign sites that take bets from people in Brazil.
What happened to money left in betting accounts?
Players could withdraw until October 5, 2026. After that, operators had to return balances to a bank account in the player’s name, or to a dedicated account at Caixa if that was not possible.
Can I still play the lottery in Brazil?
Yes. Lottery types allowed by law, including the Caixa lotteries, are not affected by the ban on fixed-odds betting.
Please gamble responsibly. In the US, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET (call or text).