Brazil’s online betting market booms as addiction cases surge

Since the sector’s regulation in 2025, Brazil’s online betting industry has experienced rapid growth. Federal tax data show licensed betting revenue doubled in the first four months of 2026, raising tax collection from R$ 2.2 billion to R$ 4.5 billion and moving the industry’s total turnover to about R$ 12.2 billion. The number of active bettors reached 25 million in 2025, with average monthly losses of R$ 123 per user. Experts link the expansion to high‑profile sports events and aggressive advertising, while estimating that 41‑51 % of the market operates through illegal platforms that evade taxes and consumer‑protection rules.

The rapid expansion has coincided with a sharp rise in problem gambling. A UNIFESP study found 4.4 % of bettors show signs of “problematic gambling,” more than double the global average. Public‑health services report that SUS‑provided care for gambling‑related disorders increased almost twenty‑fold between 2018 (305 cases) and 2025 (5,300 cases). New measures include a government‑run auto‑exclusion system that blocks all betting accounts and a tele‑health partnership between the Ministry of Health and the Hospital Sírio‑Libanês, accessible via the Meu SUS Digital app. Fiocruz also offers a free 45‑hour online course to train health professionals in prevention and treatment of betting addiction.