THE Febralot released this Thursday (26) an official note protesting against the suspension of the project BetCaixaa sports betting platform that would be operated by Caixa Econômica Federal, reveals the Power360.
According to the entity, the Lula government’s decision to block the launch of BetCaixa could reinforce the illegal betting market in Brazil and result in significant tax losses. The entity estimates that the country will no longer collect more than R$10 billion per year in taxes due to the predominance of unregulated platforms.
The launch of BetCaixa was conceived as Caixa’s entry into the sports betting and online gaming market, taking advantage of the sector’s regulations in the country. The initiative envisaged a digital operation integrated into the network of lottery outlets and the institution’s electronic channels, with the expectation of generating around R$2.5 billion in 2026.
Despite the formal authorization granted to explore fixed-odd betting, its implementation was interrupted by government order, amid debates about social risks associated with betting and criticism from sectors of the government itself.
Febralot Reviews
Febralot claims that stopping the project has the opposite effect to that expected by the government. In a statement, the federation argues that the decision favors illegal operators — often based abroad — who do not collect taxes or adopt robust consumer protection mechanisms.
The sector has also been moving politically: Febralot seeks support from parliamentarians in the Federal Senate and defends that the issue be taken to the President of the Republic to review the decision.
Although government members have expressed concerns about the social effects of sports betting, experts in the regulated sector argue that a state operation could establish control and responsible gaming mechanisms more effectively than clandestine platforms.
Debate
The debate about the expansion of online betting in Brazil also involves other recent measures by the government and the Judiciary. In December 2025, the Ministry of Finance blocked the access of around 900 thousand beneficiaries of social programs to online betting platforms, following orders from the Federal Supreme Court (STF) to prevent the use of these benefits in electronic games.
Fonte: Gaming365 – Brasil
