According to reports, Brazil’s presidential opposition candidate Flávio Bolsonaro conferred told the leadership of Grupo Globo that Congress has already agreed to bring online betting back.
Bolsonaro made the remark at a lunch with Globo chairman João Roberto Marinho and Paulo Tonet, vice president, institutional relations, only hours before his duly televised live interview on TV Globo. It was revealed that the focus was on betting.
The meeting took place at Globo’s headquarters in Rio de Janeiro and was first reported by Metrópoles. Undoubtedly, Sen. Rogério Marinho (PL-RN), who coordinates Flávio’s campaign, also attended.
Globo confirmed the lunch in a statement. It said no one from its journalism leadership was present and that visit requests from candidates are routine for media executives. Globo added that it was Flávio’s second visit, the first having come before the official campaign began, and that Lula, interviewed by TV Globo the day before, would also have been received had he asked.
Globo co-owns Boa Lion, the operator of BetMGM in Brazil, with MGM Resorts International, which controls the operation. The venture received its federal licence in December 2024 and launched in February 2025.
Ban ended betting advertising and sponsorship on Globo’s channels and at the sports events it broadcasts, and broadcaster has not been able to replace that income because other companies’ offers are much smaller.
Lula’s response
The lunch was a cause of discomfort in Lula’s entourage, since it coincided with the day when his opponent Flávio was up for an interview. During a rally held in Ipatinga, a municipality in Minas Gerais where his party was campaigning that day, Lula attacked the Globo network and noted the ban as one of the causes of their animosity, saying he was the one to “end the gambling and to have a bet.”
Flávio stated openly that he would end the online gambling business, but that he would not close down the betting shops as they can be controlled. Neither of the candidates refers to the ban during their first debate held on the Band channel. Datafolha’s most recent polls released on October 15 show that Flávio sees support among 51% of the voters while Lula gains 49% of the votes.
What the Congress has to address
By the October 13, lawmakers filed 99 amendments to Provisional Measure 1,394. The joint committee that must examine the measure had no chair or rapporteur as of October 14.
The joint committee that must examine the measure had no chair or rapporteur as of October 14. The measure starts blocking the rest of Congress’s agenda on November 9, and its first 60-day term ends on November 23, after which it can be extended once for another 60 days. Federal betting licences are due to be extinguished on October 25, the day of the runoff.
