Lula bans fixed-odds sports betting a week before Brazilian elections

President’s ‘hard, drastic and necessary measure’, likely to attract widespread public support, polls suggestBrazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has signed an order banning fixed-odds sports betting just over a week before the first round of the presidential election, in a move he said was designed to tackle the pervasive problem of families falling into debt. The decision ends the operation, offering, intermediation and advertising of betting.