Brazil calls for standalone law to tax betting after lawmakers drop “Cide-Bets” from anti-gang bill

After the Chamber approved the PL Antifacção package without the betting levy, the Justice Ministry says Congress must still deliver a dedicated funding stream for public security—and betting remains the preferred target.

Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies approved PL 5.582/2025 (“PL Antifacção”) on 24 February 2026 and sent it for presidential sanction, keeping most of the tougher anti–organised crime measures while rejecting many Senate changes.

One of the most controversial Senate additions—a proposed “Cide-Bets” contribution—was removed during the final vote. The mechanism would have imposed a 15% charge on transfers made by individuals to online sports betting platforms, with the proceeds earmarked for the National Public Security Fund (with estimates in the debate reaching up to R$30bn/year).

A day after the vote, Justice Minister Wellington César Lima e Silva said the government will now push for a standalone law (or potentially a route via the broader public-security constitutional agenda) to ensure betting becomes a structural funding source for anti-crime policy. He also denied that removing the betting provision was part of any deal with congressional leadership.

The immediate takeaway for Brazil’s regulated market is that the “tax question” hasn’t disappeared—it has simply shifted lanes. With the anti-gang bill moving forward without the levy, pressure is now building for a dedicated betting-tax proposal that could land with clearer scope, earmarking, and compliance rules than a last-minute add-on to a security package.