3,500 People Lost Their Jobs to Brazil’s Betting Ban

A preliminary survey by the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) found that more than 3,500 workers in Brazil’s betting industry have been laid off after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva banned licensed online betting.

The layoffs affect about one-quarter of the industry’s workforce. Some 4,167 employees have been put on collective leave and the association forecasts another 5,600 job losses within 90 days, roughly 37% of industry employment.

The survey covers dismissals and contract terminations since September 25, when the government issued Provisional Measure 1.394/2026, prohibiting licensed betting operations. The figures are based on data supplied by betting companies and remain preliminary.

The implications could go beyond operators to businesses involved in payments, marketing, compliance, affiliate services and industry media.

Plínio Lemos Jorge, president of the ANJL, warned that some employees currently on collective leave could face permanent layoffs if the suspension remains in place. The association and the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming have filed the measure in the Supreme Federal Court, seeking its suspension.

The ban’s impact goes far beyond lost revenue, prompting the broader question of the human cost of dismantling an entire industry overnight.