TITLE: Brazil's Ministry of Finance Prohibits Desenrola 2.0 Beneficiaries from Fixed-Odds Betting
BODY:
On May 5, 2026, Brazil's Secretariat for Prizes and Betting of the Ministry of Finance (SPA-MF) published Ordinance No. 1.237 in an extra edition of the Official Gazette of the Union, prohibiting beneficiaries of the Extraordinary Program for Financial Rebalancing of Families – Novo Desenrola Brasil – from participating in fixed-odds betting.
The ordinance, signed by acting secretary Fabio Augusto Macorin, amends Ordinance SPA-MF No. 1.231/2024 and applies to individuals who join the debt renegotiation program created by Provisional Measure No. 1.355/2026. The restriction specifically targets beneficiaries whose new credit operation contract is guaranteed by the Guarantee Fund for Operations, as regulated under Law No. 12.087 of November 11, 2009.
The prohibition has been added as item IX in Article 8 of the original ordinance. The ordinance also updates other categories of individuals prohibited from gambling, including those subject to specific administrative or judicial decisions when formally notified, and beneficiaries of the Bolsa Família Program under Law No. 14.601 of June 19, 2023, and the Continuous Benefit Payment under Law No. 8.742 of December 7, 1993.
The SPA-MF will publish a subsequent technical act establishing implementation procedures, deadlines, and any adaptation period for compliance. Betting operators must implement procedures to prevent registration or system access by individuals subject to the new restriction. The regulation aligns with Provisional Measure 1.355, which established the Extraordinary Program for Financial Rebalancing of Families and took effect upon publication.