Brazil Faces $6 Billion Health Burden from Online Betting Addiction

A study by Brazil’s Institute of Health Policy Studies (IEPS) with the Parliamentary Front for Mental Health (FPSM) and Umane estimates that online sports betting (“bets”) imposes a minimum annual cost of R$ 30.6 billion (about US$ 6 billion) on the country’s health system and society. Seventy‑nine percent of these costs are health‑related, stemming from increased suicides, severe depression, anxiety, and loss of productivity linked to gambling‑induced debt. The strain is already visible in Brazil’s public health system (SUS), which recorded an average of 12 virtual mental‑health consultations per day for betting‑related patients between early March and mid‑May, totaling 883 video sessions. Experts warn that the surge in gambling‑related disorders should be treated with the same urgency as substance addictions, calling for better clinical training, early‑intervention programs, and public‑awareness campaigns targeting youth and adults exposed to aggressive advertising.