Nearly BRL10 billion in revenue: betting drives the Brazilian economy
The impact of online betting on Brazilian household budgets continues to dominate news coverage, both on social media and news websites. One such article took a particularly strong stance, appearing on the Intercept Brasil portal. In the article, the author argues that betting already costs low-income families more than interest payments and maintains that banning this type of gambling should not be treated as taboo.
The analysis brings together a series of data on indebtedness, default rates and betting expenditure. The debate, however, should be examined in context and accompanied by complete information. With that in mind, it is important to consider the impact of betting on the Brazilian economy.
Brazilian indebtedness predates the expansion of the betting market
The economist’s main argument is that online betting has become a new driver of impoverishment among low-income populations. However, data recently published by Serasa indicates that indebtedness in Brazil is structural and predates the popularisation of online betting.
The survey released in March 2026 shows that four out of every ten Brazilians had already been carrying overdue debts for ten years. The country has 81.7 million consumers with overdue debts, an increase of 38.1 per cent since 2016. In total, there are more than 332 million registered debts, while the average debt increased from BRL5,880 ($1,164.36) to BRL6,598 ($1,306.53) in inflation-adjusted terms.
Serasa itself notes that credit cards and basic utility bills remain the primary causes of indebtedness. The company attributes the worsening scenario to high interest rates, inflationary pressure, rising living costs and the expansion of credit without adequate financial planning.
These figures do not eliminate the possibility that betting may aggravate individual situations of indebtedness, but they suggest that the phenomenon of indebtedness in Brazil cannot be explained exclusively by a market that gained scale only in recent years.
It is also important to consider that the regulated Brazilian market has already incorporated mechanisms to reduce the risk of indebtedness associated with betting. Since federal regulation entered into force, authorised operators have been prohibited from accepting deposits and payments made through credit cards, permitting only payment methods linked to available funds in bank accounts, such as bank transfers and Pix. The restriction was imposed precisely to prevent consumers from using revolving credit or accumulating debt to finance betting, a practice already prohibited in other regulated markets, such as the United Kingdom.
Gross turnover is not the same as net losses
Another point raised in the column concerns the financial volume generated by betting activities. According to the author, the Central Bank showed that betting operators handled around BRL240 billion ($47.52 billion) in 2024. The figure reflects transfers made via Pix to betting companies.
However, this amount represents gross financial turnover between consumers and operators, not the amount effectively lost by players. A significant portion of these resources is returned to users as winnings paid by operators. The distinction is important because using total betting volume as a direct measure of impoverishment may lead to inaccurate interpretations about the sector’s net impact on household income.
Correlation is not necessarily causation
While betting may aggravate individual cases of indebtedness, this alone does not establish that it is the primary cause of Brazil’s broader debt problem.
Rules established by the federal government require companies to adopt responsible gaming policies and monitor signs of risky behaviour. Among the tools available to users are the ability to set deposit limits, establish cooling-off periods, request temporary or permanent self-exclusion, and access information on betting and loss history. Operators must also provide customer support channels and referrals to support services when they identify signs of problematic gambling.
From a regulatory perspective, the requirement to identify bettors through identity verification procedures makes it more difficult to open multiple accounts and allows for more precise monitoring of user activity.
Responsible gaming specialists also argue that financial education and bettor awareness should be at the forefront of policies aimed at preventing indebtedness. The International Center for Responsible Gaming, an institution dedicated to research on gambling behaviour, says consumer protection measures tend to be more effective when combined with educational initiatives that help users understand the probabilities involved in betting, establish spending limits and recognise signs of loss of control.
Regulation or prohibition?
The column acknowledges that Brazil has made progress in regulating the sector since 2025 by restricting illegal operations, requiring federal licences and creating mechanisms to prevent beneficiaries of Bolsa Família from using authorised betting platforms. Even so, it concludes that regulation would not be sufficient and suggests that banning betting should be discussed more seriously.
This is a legitimate position within the field of public policy, but one that goes beyond the scope of the data presented throughout the text. International experience shows that different countries have adopted different approaches to addressing gambling-related risks, including advertising limits, restrictions on the use of credit cards, reductions in maximum stake amounts and self-exclusion mechanisms. Total prohibition is only one among several possible regulatory alternatives.
The economic weight of betting in Brazil
Discussions about the social impacts of betting often focus on the sector’s potential risks, but the activity has also become a new source of tax revenue, private investment and job creation in the country. Since federal regulation entered into force in January 2025, the market has ceased operating in a grey area and has become formally integrated into the Brazilian economy, subject to authorisation, supervision and taxation rules.
In its first full year of regulated operations, 2025, the Brazilian betting market recorded approximately BRL37 billion ($7.33 billion) in gross gaming revenue (GGR), defined as the difference between the amount wagered by consumers and the winnings paid back to players. The amount places Brazil among the world’s largest regulated online betting markets and makes clear the scale of an activity that, until a few years ago, operated predominantly through companies based abroad.
The fiscal impact is also significant. Data released by the federal government reveals that revenue related to betting reached approximately BRL9.95 billion ($1.97 billion) in 2025, including taxes levied on the activity, withholding income tax on winnings, supervisory fees and other allocations provided for by law. In addition, companies interested in operating in the regulated market were required to invest BRL30 million ($5.94 million) per licence, generating approximately BRL2.5 billion ($495.05 million) in revenue from authorisation grants.
Regulation has also fostered the development of a new specialised industry ecosystem. Operators have begun hiring professionals in technology, data analysis, cybersecurity, anti-money laundering, marketing, compliance, customer service and responsible gaming. The segment’s growth has also boosted demand for payment service providers, certification companies, monitoring firms, law offices and regulatory consultancies.
Another relevant economic effect concerns sports financing. Betting companies now dominate football sponsorships, displaying their brands on team shirts and state and national championships, while also investing in broadcasting rights, commercial activations and promotional activities. These resources have become an additional source of revenue for clubs, federations and sports event organisers.
The state’s presence in the market has also enabled the implementation of supervisory mechanisms that did not exist during the informal period. In 2025, more than 25,000 illegal websites were blocked, while authorised companies began reporting their operational data to public authorities, allowing more precise monitoring of market behaviour and tax revenue generated by the sector.
This does not mean that economic benefits eliminate concerns related to indebtedness, problematic gambling or the distributive impacts of betting. However, the figures show that the sector produces effects that go beyond individual consumption, generating public revenue, stimulating private investment and creating jobs in highly specialised segments. Therefore, any assessment of the role of betting in the Brazilian economy is more complete when it simultaneously considers its social costs and its contribution to formal economic activity.
This article was first published on the Portuguese SiGMA News page on 24 June 2026.
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