Global gambling market updates, October 24, 2026: Brazil court freezes player refund money at seven betting firms, Bet365 and Betano win Mexico appeal

Latin America

1. Brazil: court orders seven betting firms to freeze and report player refund balances

Judge Denise Aparecida Avelar of the 6th Federal Court in São Paulo ruled on Friday, October 23, in a lawsuit brought by the Attorney General's Office (AGU) against seven betting companies, including Blaze (operated by Foggo Entertainment), Valor Econômico reported. The companies must, within two days, provide bank documentation showing the balances in the transactional accounts used to hold bettors' funds, and must keep the money earmarked for refunds segregated and untouched. Each faces a fine of R$50,000 per day for non-compliance.

The AGU said the firms had missed the government's deadline, which it put at October 12, to report each bettor's balance and the brands they ran, and to arrange refunds. In the decision, the judge wrote that continued non-compliance created "a concrete risk" that operations would wind down without oversight of where the money went, and cited Article 8, §1 of Provisional Measure 1.394/2026, which requires refund money to stay segregated.

The government has estimated that at least R$159 million belonging to bettors remained in operators' accounts after the ban took effect; according to Valor, that figure does not include the firms that never sent their data, which are the targets of this lawsuit. When the AGU first announced the action on October 10, CNN Brasil reported government data covering 22.5 million bettors with remaining balances across 70.5 million accounts, 90% of them holding less than R$1. Foggo Entertainment told Valor it is in direct contact with the authorities and partner banks to complete the refund process.

What it means: the refund phase of Brazil's betting ban has moved into the courts. The ruling comes days before the remaining federal authorisations lapse on October 25 under the provisional measure; scam sites posing as refund portals have already appeared, as AskSpinner reported earlier. The ban has also pushed Flutter to close Betfair in Brazil and keep only Betnacional.

2. Mexico: Bet365 and Betano operator wins appeal against Segob suspension

The 23rd Collegiate Tribunal in Administrative Matters of the First Circuit ruled in favour of Ganador Azteca, which runs Bet365 and Betano in Mexico, at a session on Wednesday, October 22, El CEO reported. The company had challenged a district court's refusal to grant it a definitive suspension against the Interior Ministry (Segob) order that halted its platforms in November 2025. That order followed a list of higher-risk gaming permit holders that the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) had sent to Segob's Gaming and Draws Directorate.

According to El CEO, the reporting magistrate revised her draft after an earlier session, and a second magistrate said a criminal investigation file previously linked to the case had no direct bearing on the blocking order. The ruling still has to be published on the court notice board, and Segob has to comply with it. TV Azteca, which says companies linked to it were on the Segob list, reported that bettors' frozen balances have not yet been released. Ganador Azteca has separately entered a voluntary commercial insolvency (concurso mercantil) process as part of a reorganisation.

What it means: the decision deals with interim relief, not a final ruling on whether the suspension was lawful. In March, a different district judge found that the Gaming Directorate's order had breached the company's rights to a hearing and due process, El CEO reported.

Africa

3. Namibia: new gambling and lottery regulations move toward gazetting

Namibia's Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism held regional validation workshops in October on amendments to the Lotteries Regulations and the Gambling and Gambling Activities Regulations, iGaming Business reported on October 23, citing national broadcaster NBC. Submissions will be consolidated in Windhoek before the gazetting stage. The proposals include new operator fees to fund a central electronic monitoring system and an electronic software lottery licence for digital platforms. Minister Indileni Daniel told parliament that the Gambling Board of Namibia (GBN) is not yet fully operational and still has to recruit staff, which she said is limiting consumer education and rehabilitation programmes.

What it means: the rules depend on a regulator that is still building capacity. The GBN has already extended two technology tender deadlines to November 5, including the monitoring system tender.

Europe

4. Malta: MGA and consumer authority sign player-protection agreement

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) signed a memorandum of understanding on October 23 covering consumer complaints and disputes where their remits overlap, the MGA announced. The agreement sets up a formal framework for cooperation and information exchange so that players are directed to the right authority. MGA chief executive Charles Mizzi said consumers should not "fall through the gaps" between the two bodies' remits.

Asia

5. India: Enforcement Directorate searches 15 locations in betting-app probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) searched 15 locations in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, including Hyderabad and Vijayawada, on October 23 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, The Siasat Daily reported. The case stems from an FIR filed by Pune cyber crime police over online betting and fraudulent investment apps. Investigators are tracing proceeds allegedly routed through shell companies and cryptocurrency transactions to overseas accounts, following searches in Delhi, Mumbai and Gurugram the previous week. The ED had not released details of seizures or the people under investigation.

What to watch

• Brazil: remaining federal betting authorisations lapse on October 25 under MP 1.394; Justice Luiz Fux's ruling on the injunction requests at the Supreme Court is expected after the October 25 presidential runoff.
• Chile: the Senate Economic Committee's deadline for amendments to the online betting bill is noon on October 26; the finance minister is due before the committee on October 27.
• Kenya: constitutional petitions against the Gambling Control (Licensing) Regulations, 2026 have been referred to the Principal Judge to decide which court hears them, the Association of Gaming Operators Kenya said on October 22; existing orders stay in force.
• Peru: public comment on MINCETUR's draft remote-gambling rule changes closes around November 5.