Brazilian President Lula Prohibits Online Gambling Industry Ahead of Election

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has enacted a decree effectively banning online gambling across Brazil. The executive order, signed amidst a tight re-election battle, targets an industry the President characterised as a 'cancer' that he is compelled to 'remove'.

The prohibition arrives at a critical juncture for Lula, whose current presidential campaign sees him in a narrow contest against challenger Flávio Bolsonaro. The decree underscores a decisive regulatory intervention into a rapidly expanding sector.