Online betting grew nearly 300% during the World Cup in Brazil
The FIFA World Cup was the first major sporting event following the implementation of Brazil’s regulated betting market, highlighting how deeply sport is embedded in Brazilian culture. Data released by financial intelligence platform Klavi shows that the number of bets placed by Brazilians increased by nearly 300 per cent compared with May, the month before the tournament began. Despite the sharp increase, performance still fell short of projections made ahead of the competition.
During the tournament, Klavi monitored financial activity through its Placar das Bets indicator, created to track deposits sent to betting operators using anonymised Open Finance data. According to the company, the users analysed deposited BRL992.1 million ($194.91 million) throughout the World Cup.
The survey is based on anonymised data from approximately 1.2 million people who authorised the sharing of their financial information through Open Finance. According to the company, 39.4 per cent of monitored users made at least one deposit to betting platforms during the World Cup, while men accounted for the largest share of financial activity.
The data helps measure consumer behaviour but has important limitations. The study records only the amounts transferred to betting operators and does not indicate how much of that money was returned to users as winnings. It is also not possible to identify which betting verticals received the funds, as deposits may have been directed to World Cup betting, online casinos, online slot games or other sporting events taking place at the same time.
This detail is relevant because other competitions continued during the World Cup. Domestic tournaments such as Brazil’s Série B championship and several international leagues remained active, expanding betting opportunities beyond World Cup matches.
Betting activity concentrated before kick-off
Another survey released during the tournament shows that bettors followed a consistent pattern, with most financial activity taking place shortly before matches began. According to Pay4Fun, a fintech specialising in payment solutions for the regulated betting market, transactions increased by up to 180 per cent during the hour before Brazil national team matches compared with the period while the match was in progress.
The highest peak occurred during Brazil’s opening match against Morocco, when financial activity recorded in the hour before kick off was 181 per cent higher than during the match itself. A similar result was recorded for the match between Brazil and Scotland, with a 179 per cent increase. The same pattern also appeared in matches involving other national teams:
- Portugal vs Uzbekistan, up 97 per cent;
- Argentina vs Algeria, up 87 per cent;
- Spain vs Cape Verde, up approximately 78 per cent;
- Spain vs Saudi Arabia, up 79 per cent;
- France vs Iraq, up 60 per cent.
According to Pay4Fun, the data indicates that many users prefer to make deposits and confirm their bets immediately before kick-off, when team line-ups have already been announced and betting markets tend to experience greater activity.
The behaviour reflects a traditional characteristic of sports betting. As kick-off approaches, demand increases for markets related to match results, total goals, player performance and other specific events, driving higher transaction volumes across betting platforms.
Average deposit value also increased
In addition to the increase in the number of bets, the average value of user deposits also rose. Preliminary data from Klavi indicates that the average deposit increased from BRL188 ($36.94) before the World Cup to BRL245.05 ($48.14) during the tournament. In the days leading up to Brazil national team matches, the average exceeded BRL400 ($78.59) at certain points, suggesting bettors were willing to make larger deposits for matches considered more significant. After Brazil’s elimination, this pace slowed, and in the final between Spain and Argentina, the average deposit fell to BRL172 ($33.79).
Despite this increase, industry representatives say the biggest expansion occurred in the number of transactions rather than the value of individual deposits. In other words, more people made deposits, while individual deposit values remained relatively stable.
World Cup boosts sector but falls short of projections
Before the tournament began, expectations were even more optimistic. In June, H2 Gambling Capital CEO Ed Birkin estimated that the FIFA World Cup would generate between BRL20 billion and BRL25 billion ($3.93 billion and $4.91 billion) in additional deposits for operators active in the Brazilian market. The forecast was based on growth observed during major international sporting events and the consolidation of Brazil’s regulated betting market.
However, after the tournament concluded, Birkin assessed that the outcome was “slightly” below the original estimate. He believes this was due to Brazil’s early elimination and the sudden increase in public debate over betting advertising during the tournament, which intensified discussions about new regulatory restrictions.
Even with lower than expected performance during the World Cup, the betting sector has continued to record strong growth since the regulation of the Brazilian market began in January 2025. Data previously published by Brazilian news outlet Folha de S.Paulo shows that the revenue of licensed operators nearly doubled during the first months of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier. Tax revenue also increased significantly.
The federal government has also expanded measures aimed at protecting consumers. During the World Cup, the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) introduced new rules on betting advertising, making the inclusion of gambling risk warning messages mandatory and reinforcing responsibilities for operators, influencers and other participants in advertising campaigns.
This article was first published on the Portuguese SiGMA News page on 21 July 2026.
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