Brazil’s betting sites go offline as R$1.325bn repayment begins and Stake wins time in court

Brazil’s authorised betting sites went offline on 6 October 2026. The withdrawal window under Provisional Measure (MP) 1.394/2026 had closed at 23:59 on 5 October. By the Ministry of Finance statement that day, all but one of 188 previously authorised sites had stopped, and blocking of the last one was requested. The focus now is repayment, enforcement and one court exception.

How R$1.325bn gets back to bettors

An SPA bulletin shows R$1.325bn still awaiting repayment to about 26.5 million bettors. Many balances are tiny: about 86.2 million accounts hold between R$0.01 and R$0.99, totalling R$15.5m.

The money moves in three steps. On 7 October, operators give banks each customer’s remaining balance, identified by CPF, with the bank account used for deposits. From 9 to 14 October, banks return the funds. From 14 October, unpaid amounts move to Caixa Econômica Federal.

High-balance accounts are to be examined for money laundering and links to criminal organisations. Clean data pays off here: balances, CPF records and deposit accounts must agree. See our guide to casino API reporting and reconciliation.

Blocking reaches offshore sites and social media

The ban, signed by President Lula on 25 September, covers the operation, offer, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds betting and online games, including offshore platforms serving Brazilians. Other lottery products authorised by law are not affected. Background is in our 26 September news on the ban.

Between 25 September and 6 October, 13,241 illegal websites were referred for blocking, about 1,103 a day. Takedown requests covered 3,552 social media items: 1,974 Facebook pages, 560 Instagram profiles, 900 Telegram channels and groups, 103 TikTok profiles, 14 WhatsApp groups and one Discord server.

Stake can operate until 25 October, under 12 conditions

On 8 October, the 9th Federal Civil Court of São Paulo, under Judge Cristiane Farias Rodrigues dos Santos, granted Stake Brazil a partial preliminary injunction. Stake may operate until 25 October 2026, the date the MP sets for licence expiry, not until 31 December 2029 as it asked.

Authorities cannot block stake.bet.br solely because the authorisation ended early. In return, Stake must keep bettor identification, age verification, anti-money laundering, responsible gambling and self-exclusion in place. It must block banned people and welfare funds such as BPC and Bolsa Família. No new promotions, acquisition bonuses or advertising aimed at minors. Withdrawals must be guaranteed and reporting to Sigap continues.

The ruling applies only to Stake. Authorities have 10 days to respond, then the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office gives an opinion.

What to watch, and what it means for suppliers

An MP takes effect immediately but is valid for 60 days, extendable once by another 60. Congress must approve it in that window or it expires. At the Supreme Federal Court (STF), Justice Luiz Fux, rapporteur of related challenges, plans to rule only after the 25 October presidential runoff.

For operators and suppliers with Brazil exposure, three steps make sense whatever the outcome:

• Diversify across other Latin American markets, so one regulator cannot stop the business.
• Keep controls per market, so one jurisdiction can be switched off on its own.
• Keep player-balance data clean: in a forced exit it drives repayment and review.

More context: iGaming regulation and enforcement in 2026.

Based on G3 Newswire (October 2026), SBC Americas (8 October 2026) and AGBrief (29 September 2026). This is a summary, not legal advice.