Brazil’s Fux Sets Nov. 3 Hearing as Betting Ban Remains in Force

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Luiz Fux has scheduled a public hearing for Nov. 3, 2026, on challenges to the country’s ban on sports betting and online casinos, without granting the suspension sought by industry associations. The announcement leaves the prohibition in force as operators confront the expiration of their federal authorizations.

Fux issued the scheduling order on Oct. 26, a day after the presidential election runoff and the deadline for betting licenses to lapse. The supplied Bitcoin.com News report said 85 licenses had expired, while industry representatives continued pressing for an urgent ruling on their challenge.

The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. in the Supreme Court’s Second Panel session room, according to NEXT.io’s account of the order. It will bring together government representatives, betting associations and football interests, but the scheduling decision itself does not resolve the request for an injunction or determine whether the ban is constitutional.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed the prohibition on Sept. 25. According to Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security, the measure bars the operation, offering, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds betting nationwide, replacing the previous approach of allowing authorized companies to serve the market under federal regulation.

The government’s implementation timetable prohibited new deposits and gave customers until Oct. 5 to withdraw remaining balances through betting websites and applications. Blocking of those services was scheduled to begin Oct. 6. The ministry also announced procedures for financial institutions to return outstanding customer funds and restrictions on betting advertising and sponsorships.

The legal challenge places the government’s prohibition against industry demands to preserve the regulated market or secure time to wind down operations. NEXT.io reported that associations ANJL and IBJR sought to overturn the ban, suspend it pending further consideration, or obtain a transition period for licensed companies.

The government has opposed those efforts. CNN Brasil reported that the Attorney General’s Office defended keeping the provisional measure in force and requested rejection of the challenges. Lula’s reelection, reported in the supplied source, also keeps the administration responsible for introducing the prohibition in power as the dispute moves forward.

Football’s participation highlights the wider commercial consequences under discussion. CNN Brasil said representatives of clubs including Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo, Cruzeiro, São Paulo and Corinthians would attend alongside the Brazilian Football Confederation. The broadcaster reported that parties sought urgent consideration because of the measure’s deadlines and its economic implications for football and other sectors.

The hearing will therefore address a dispute extending beyond whether betting platforms can resume accepting wagers. The government has presented its crackdown as part of a broader response to household indebtedness and gambling-related harm, while challengers are seeking relief from the consequences of abruptly ending an authorized industry. Those competing positions remain unresolved by the hearing announcement.

The next scheduled step is the Nov. 3 public hearing, rather than an announced ruling on the merits. NEXT.io reported that Fux had set no fixed deadline for deciding the injunction request. Until the court grants relief or the legal framework changes, the hearing date alone provides operators with no authorization to restart business.