The Brazilian government introduced the “Novo Desenrola” debt renegotiation program on May 9, 2026. Its aim is to reduce household debt linked with online betting and gambling.
Article 16 of the provisional measure mentioned the legalized prohibition of the usage of direct contact of operations and funds for placing bets. The rule is designed to address the loopholes in Brazil’s payment methods and systems that currently allow gamblers to use credit-based Pix transactions.
Yet the investigation by Folha de S.Paulo has discovered that 2 Brazil’s largest financial institutions, aka Bradesco and Banco do Brasil, were allowing credit transactions for betting.
The household debt continues to rise in the country. CNC shows that 80.4% of Brazilians are in debt, and it is the highest level recorded since 2010.
Legal experts believe that the new rule that targets the Pix credit operators will formally be regulated by Brazil’s Central bank.
The system works in 2 main ways. Firstly, banks process a credit card transaction, add service fees, and convert the funds into a Pix transfer. Moreover, a customer can take a personal loan and transfer it directly to a betting operator.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, during his April 30 speech, argued that it is unfair for women to work extra to cover gambling-related debts that are caused by men.
Brazil’s betting law, which came into force in January 2025 under SPA Ordinance 615, bans postpaid payment methods. The rule prohibits operators from accepting credit card payments.
Most banks now block Pix credit transactions when they notice the recipient is a betting operator. Financial services firms such as Nubank and PicPay have also confirmed and recognized the restrictions and the financial risks.
Despite new strict regulations, some gaps remain. The Central Bank has not clarified how monitoring will be done. According to lawyer José Francisco Manssur, the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) reportedly lacks the authority to penalize banks.
People in the iGaming industry argue that operators have limited visibility over whether deposits come from credit-based transactions.
