Brazil betting measure tied to 3,500 layoffs, ANJL survey finds

A preliminary survey by Brazil's National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL), reported on October 9, 2026, estimates that about 3,500 workers in the betting sector have been laid off since Provisional Measure No. 1.394/2026 took effect. Partial data obtained by BNLData indicate 23% of the sector's workforce has lost jobs and 28% has been placed on collective leave. Combined, those figures represent 51%, or more than 7,600 workers, within less than two weeks of the measure's implementation.

The sector employs around 15,000 people, according to the survey, which estimates 4,167 workers are currently on collective leave. If current trends continue, layoffs could reach 37% of the workforce, or about 5,600 workers, within 90 days—roughly 2,100 additional job losses.

ANJL said the figures are preliminary and could rise as responses from operators and service providers are consolidated. The survey covers payments, technology, customer service, compliance, marketing, agencies, affiliates, and media. Companies have used collective leave while awaiting decisions from the Supreme Federal Court and National Congress; without a reversal, some workers could later be dismissed. ANJL President Plínio Jorge said real numbers are needed to gauge the measure's effects on workers and companies that depend on the activity. A market source described the scale of the impact as exceeding the workforce of a large multinational corporation.