Stake Brasil granted injunction, resumes operations until 25 Oct 2026

Stake Brasil received a partial injunction allowing it to resume operations in Brazil until 25 October 2026 or until further court order, according to the judgment issued on 8 October 2026. The ruling of the Ninth Federal Civil Court of São Paulo prevents authorities from blocking or redirecting the domain stake.bet.br and forbids sanctions for operating within the limits set by the court while the injunction remains in force.

Preliminary injunction for Stake Brasil: context and key dates

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a provisional measure on 25 September 2026 that, effective from 6 October 2026, banned the offer, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds betting and online casino gaming across the national territory. That measure nullified the regulated market that had taken effect in January 2025, established that licence holders would not receive compensation and denied reimbursement of the licence fee of BRL30m (the original note equates this to £4.5m).

The provisional measure also requires congressional confirmation within 120 days to remain in force as law; until then it has immediate effect but needs legislative approval to become definitive. The federal government reported that 187 of the 188 authorised platforms suspended their activities after the measure.

Legal scope of the court decision on Stake Brasil

Judge Cristiane Farias Rodrigues dos Santos, of the Ninth Federal Civil Court of São Paulo, granted Stake Brasil a partial protective injunction on 8 October 2026. The ruling preserves the validity of Stake’s administrative authorisation until 25 October 2026 or until a later decision modifies it. The judge denied the operator’s request to suspend the provisional measure in its entirety and also dismissed, for now, the petition to allow operation until the original licence expiry at the end of 2029; that second claim remains pending on the merits.

While the injunction is in force, federal authorities may not block or redirect the domain stake.bet.br. The judgment also provides that no sanctions be imposed on Stake for operating within the parameters set by the court resolution.

Preliminary injunction for Stake Brasil: court-imposed conditions

The judge conditioned the effectiveness of the injunction on Stake Brasil fulfilling 12 requirements. Among the ordered conditions are:

• maintaining active identity verification for players;

• prohibiting bets funded with resources from social programmes;

• suspending new promotional campaigns and customer acquisition;

• allowing players to withdraw their balances at any time;

• maintaining sufficient funds to cover customer withdrawals.

Those requirements aim to ensure the operator continues to provide service under player-protection and transparency obligations while the judicial process remains open.

Company statements and reading of the judgment

Stake Brasil issued a statement welcoming the ruling, arguing that the administrative authorisation obtained after meeting all legal requirements, paying the licence fee and making investments “confers a legal position that cannot be suppressed without due consideration”. The company said it had “fully complied” with obligations arising from the provisional measure since its publication and that it would continue to do so.

“By recognising that an authorisation obtained by fulfilling all legal requirements, paying the [licence] fee and making significant investments confers a legal position that cannot be suppressed without due consideration, the court reaffirmed the importance of legal certainty and the stability of rules.” — Stake Brasil

The company added that, to its knowledge, it is the first licensed operator to obtain a decision of this type in Brazil.

Implications of the veto and political timetable

The partial ban and immediate shutdown ordered by the provisional measure occur at a time of high political sensitivity. The rules approved by the Executive must pass the Congress within 120 days to be consolidated. The legislative and electoral calendar complicates that process: the presidential runoff in Brazil is scheduled for 25 October 2026, the same date on which the injunction granted to Stake expires.

In the first-round election on 4 October 2026 there was no absolute winner: Flávio Bolsonaro obtained 47.03% of the votes and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva 45.16%, which took the contest to the runoff on 25 October 2026.

Market analysts have estimated the impact of the regulatory shutdown. H2 Gambling Capital projected that up to BRL30bn (approximately £4.3bn in the original reference) could move to the illegal market as a result of the ban. Regulus Partners assessed there is a 85% probability that the shutdown will last only weeks or months, although that estimate does not change the fact: for now the provisional measure is in force and requires congressional confirmation.

What comes next for operators and authorities

In practical terms, the court decision gives Stake Brasil a limited time window to operate — until 25 October 2026 — and sets a compliance pattern that other licence holders may seek to replicate in similar lawsuits. To follow regulatory and judicial developments in Brazil, the sector should watch the Congress timetable and subsequent resolutions on the Executive’s provisional measures.

For broader coverage of recent regulatory changes consult our pieces in [regulation](/regulation) and the Brazilian market news digest in [news](/news).