Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has banned sports betting sites, the biggest sponsor of the country’s football clubs, just days before the country’s election in which he is seeking a fourth term.
Gambling has exploded in Brazil in recent years, dragging many into debt, and opinion polls show strong voter opposition to the industry, which Lula has labeled a cancer.
The initiative is the latest in a flurry of moves made by Lula before a first round of voting on October 4, as he stands neck-and-neck with right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro in the polls.
Powerhouse football club Flamengo called the move a heavy blow to Brazilian sports, warning it could impact not only professional football, but youth academies, women’s soccer, Olympic sports and various championships.
