RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 29 -- Two years after Brazil legalized sports betting and casino-style games in a sweeping statute, the Workers' Party has introduced legislation that would either gut the law or abolish it outright. The bills have the backing of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and carry enough electoral momentum to reshape one of the fastest-growing regulated gambling markets in the world.

Brazil's regulated betting market generated R$20.07 billion in gross gaming revenue in the first half of 2026, a 15.3 percent increase over the same period last year, according to figures published by the Secretaria de Premios e Apostas, the federal gambling regulator known as the SPA. Seventy-eight operators hold current licenses, operating 1...