The decision involves operations on elections, sports and reality shows and prevents access to Brazilian users
The government declared the so-called prediction markets illegal in Brazil, and ordered the blocking of 28 digital platforms that operated this type of service. The announcement was made by the Minister of Economy, Dario Durigan, this Friday (April 24, 2026), at Palácio do Planalto.
The decision involves operations on elections, sports and reality shows, and prevents Brazilian users from accessing the platforms.
Durigan said that the conclusion was reached after joint analysis with bodies such as the Central Bank, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ministry of Justice and the National Telecommunications Agency. According to him, these platforms do not follow current legislation and exploit regulatory gaps to offer bets with money.
The minister highlighted that predictive markets do not fit into the betting law approved by the National Congress, the of December 29, 2023, nor in the rules of the financial system.
Durigan said that these operations also cannot be classified as derivatives (financial contracts whose value is linked to another asset, such as shares, currencies or commodities), according to the recent understanding of the National Monetary Council.
“The conclusion is that prediction markets are not legal, they are not regular in Brazil”he stated. He said that there is a risk of harm to the population, especially low-income people, in the absence of clear rules and adequate supervision.
Durigan stated that the government received reports of irregularities and began monitoring the sector since the creation of the Prizes and Betting Secretariat. According to him, there was a period without consistent supervision, which allowed the expansion of these platforms in the country.
The interpretation adopted by the government is that predictions about events, such as electoral or sporting results, cannot be treated as formal financial assets.
With this, the CVM now has support to restrict this type of operation in the capital market. At the same time, Anatel (National Telecommunications Agency) was taken to block access to platforms, a measure that has already come into force, according to the minister.
