Brazil Reports First Year of Regulated Fixed-Odds Betting
After completing its first full year under a regulated framework, Brazil’s fixed-odds betting sector is beginning to take shape. The Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA), under the Ministry of Finance, has released its “Periodic Panorama of the Regulated Fixed-Odds Betting Market,” offering a comprehensive snapshot of industry activity throughout 2025.
According to the report, the year was marked by regulatory consolidation, stepped-up enforcement and market structuring. Legal operators reported that 25.2 million Brazilians placed bets during the year, while authorities worked aggressively to suppress unlicensed activity. In coordination with the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), more than 25,000 illegal betting websites were blocked.
Enforcement, Financial Controls, and Compliance
Oversight efforts intensified throughout 2025. The SPA’s Subsecretariat for Monitoring and Inspection opened 132 administrative proceedings involving 133 betting operators, with 80 cases still under review for potential sanctions.
Financial monitoring also expanded, with closer scrutiny applied to financial institutions (FIs) and payment institutions (PIs). By year-end, 54 FIs and PIs had submitted 1,255 reports concerning 1,687 individuals suspected of transferring funds to illegal betting operations. These investigations led to the closure of 550 bank accounts, 265 of which were deemed unlawful from the outset.
SPA Secretary Regis Dudena described 2025 as a turning point, noting that it was the first year in which the State maintained continuous oversight of the betting market. He emphasized that the collection and analysis of economic and player data now allow regulators to objectively assess compliance, support healthier gambling policies and strengthen inter-ministerial cooperation particularly through centralized consumer protection tools.
Crackdown on Illegal Advertising and Influencers
The report also details action taken against unauthorized betting promotion online. Authorities carried out 412 inspection proceedings involving digital influencers, resulting in the removal of 324 social media profiles and 229 promotional materials linked to illegal gambling advertising.
These efforts were coordinated with Brazil’s advertising self-regulator Conar and the Brazil Digital Council, which includes major platforms such as Google, TikTok, Kwai, Uber and Hotmart.
Dudena stated that the Secretariat’s approach evolved steadily: regulatory foundations were laid in 2024, enforcement intensified in 2025, and illegal operators became a central focus of suppression efforts.
Bettor Demographics and Market Size
Data from the Ministry of Finance’s Betting Management System shows that 68.3% of bettors were male, while 31.7% were female. The largest age group was 31 to 40 years old (28.6%), followed by bettors aged 18–24 and 25–30, which together represented 22.7% of users.
Legal operators generated R$37 billion in gross gaming revenue during 2025. From this, R$9.95 billion was collected in federal taxes and statutory allocations, including R$4.5 billion earmarked under Law No. 13,756/2018. Licensing fees contributed an additional R$2.5 billion, while regulatory inspection fees reached R$95.5 million.
Centralized Self-Exclusion Gains Early Traction
One of the most significant consumer protection developments in 2025 was the launch of Brazil’s Centralized Self-Exclusion Platform. Within its first 40 days of operation, the system processed more than 217,000 requests.
The most frequently cited reason for self-exclusion was loss of control linked to mental health concerns (37%), followed by requests to prevent personal data from being used by betting platforms (25%).
The platform allows individuals to block themselves from all licensed betting sites at once and limits exposure to gambling-related advertising, reinforcing Brazil’s focus on harm reduction and responsible gambling within its newly regulated betting market.
