Brazil's Lula bans online gambling ahead of presidential election

Image source, Reuters Image caption, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announcing new economic measures in São Paulo

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has announced a ban on online gambling, just days before an election in which he is seeking a fourth term as the country's leader.

Lula, who is running against the son of the incarcerated former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, signed a provisional order on Friday that "prohibits all sports betting and online casinos".

The online gambling industry in Brazil was legalised in 2018 and has since been blamed for widespread household income losses due to addiction.

Lula said that the industry, which he has described as a "cancer". "Either we remove the tumour, or it kills us," he said.