Stake Will Fight the Ruling That Shut Its Brazil Site Again

Its lawyer says the Brazil appeal could reopen the door for other licensed operators too, as every federal betting license is set to lapse on Oct. 25.

Francis Gable

21/10/26 · 2 minOctober 21, 2026 · 2 min read

Stake will challenge the appeals court ruling that knocked its Brazilian site back offline, its lawyer Udo Seckelmann told iGaming Business.

Seckelmann is a partner at Bichara e Motta Advogados, the Brazilian firm handling the case. He said the firm has two possible strategies and is choosing which one to file. He would not say on what grounds.

The stakes reach past one brand. Brazil's ban took 188 licensed sites offline on Oct. 6, and the emergency measure ends every federal betting license 30 days after its Sept. 25 publication, with no refund of license fees.

"If we get a positive decision in the next couple of days, maybe other operators will get that too."

Seckelmann said Stake knows "the degree of responsibility that we have for the whole industry."

Stake Says the Rules Changed Midstream

A São Paulo federal judge let Stake Brazil run until Oct. 25. A day later, the appeals court's president suspended that order at the request of the federal attorney general's office, which argued it gave Stake an unfair edge.

Seckelmann said Stake paid a R$30 million ($6 million) license fee and set aside a R$5 million reserve for a five-year license. The ban landed before the license reached two years. He called the appeals ruling "a political decision" that cited only general principles.

Supreme Court Petition Still Pending

Two trade groups, ANJL and IBJR, have asked Justice Luiz Fux to suspend the ban until a new public hearing, according to Brazilian trade press. As a fallback, they want licensed operators back online until Dec. 31, 2026.

The ANJL says more than 3,500 betting workers have lost their jobs since the ban, according to multiple reports. Seckelmann expects the Supreme Court to rule only after Brazil's presidential runoff on Oct. 25, the same day licenses lapse under the measure.

Which of its two strategies Stake files, and whether a court rules before that date, remains open.

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