Brazil sees seven‑fold rise in betting auto‑exclusion requests during World Cup

Data from the Ministry of Finance's Secretariat of Prizes and Betting shows that the average daily number of auto‑exclusion requests in Brazil jumped from 2,594 in the first half of May to 17,866 between 15 ‑ 28 June, a rise of nearly seven times. The Centralized Auto‑Exclusion Platform, launched by the federal government in December 2025, allows users to block their CPF across all licensed betting operators; more than one million Brazilians have enrolled since its inception.

During the World Cup, the main reasons for registering changed: in May, 43 % cited loss of control over gambling, while in the tournament period 29.5 % cited protection of personal data and 24.13 % still cited loss of control. The surge coincided with increased advertising by betting firms and a consumer‑agency investigation into potentially abusive ads.

Deputy Ana Paula Lima (PT‑SC) has introduced a bill to levy a 2 % tax on betting operators’ revenue to fund prevention, diagnosis and treatment of gambling disorder through the SUS. Experts on the “Café com Blink” programme warned that the rapid expansion of online betting is affecting household incomes, increasing debt, and generating mental‑health problems such as anxiety, depression and suicide risk. The Ministry of Health also offers free tele‑attendance for gambling‑related issues.