Brazil’s regulated betting and iGaming market has shown remarkable growth in the first six months of 2025. According to data released by the Ministry of Finance’s Prizes and Betting Secretariat (SPA) on August 26, gross gaming revenue (GGR) totaled BRL 17.4 billion (USD 3.2 billion) from January to June. This sum reflects the amount wagered minus prizes paid and highlights the spending trends of approximately 17.7 million active bettors during this period.

Efforts to Control Illegal Betting

SPA Secretary Regis Dudena emphasized the importance of the findings, stating, “This report is crucial for regulation. It provides concrete data on regulatory action, addressing topics such as oversight and control, as well as initial figures that reflect reality, not just estimates. From here on, the debate on the fixed-odds betting market in Brazil can be conducted with even more solid elements, enabling us to advance evidence-based regulation.”

Players spent an average of BRL 983 for the semester, roughly BRL 164 per month, reflecting a balanced pattern of engagement across the country.

Since the beginning of the regulated market in January, Brazilian authorities have intensified efforts to combat illegal operators. Working with the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), the SPA has overseen the removal of 15,463 unauthorized betting pages since October 2024.

The crackdown extends beyond blocking unlicensed websites. Financial institutions have been instructed not to process transactions for illegal platforms. In the first half of 2025, 24 financial and payment institutions submitted 277 reports of suspicious transactions, leading to the closure of 255 accounts linked to irregular activities. Additionally, 13 payment institutions received notifications from the SPA to investigate or terminate accounts tied to illicit operations, resulting in 45 company accounts being shut down.

Advertising has also come under scrutiny. In collaboration with the Brazilian Digital Council—representing major platforms such as Google, Meta, TikTok, Kwai, and Amazon—the SPA addressed 120 cases of unlawful advertising. This initiative resulted in the removal of 112 influencer profiles and 146 non-compliant posts that promoted unlicensed betting activities.

Market Insights and Regulatory Outlook

The SPA’s Sigap system, which collects daily data from licensed operators, revealed a detailed profile of the country’s bettors in its press release. Of the 17.7 million users, 71% are men and 28.9% women. Age distribution indicates that 27.8% of bettors fall within the 31 to 40 range, followed by 22.4% aged 18 to 25 and 22.2% aged 25 to 30.

Dudena also noted that the unchecked growth from 2019 to 2022, before the implementation of clear regulations, has contributed to current social and economic challenges tied to gambling addiction. “The lack of control from 2019 to 2022 is very much responsible for the problems we are experiencing today. It is now our role to clean up the house. We need to fix this mess,” he explained.

On the revenue side, the Federal Revenue Service confirmed that BRL 3.8 billion in taxes was collected in the first half of the year, in addition to BRL 2.2 billion in licensing fees and BRL 50 million in inspection fees from authorized operators. Data from the Revenue Service also revealed that combined revenue from betting and lotteries reached BRL 4.7 billion by July. Officials project this amount could double to exceed BRL 10 billion by the end of 2025 as the market continues to stabilize and expand.

The SPA reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing transparency by announcing plans to release regular updates on market performance. Dudena stated, “Our goal is, from now on, to periodically disclose the SPA’s activities and the evolution of the fixed-odds betting market in Brazil, fulfilling this government’s commitment to transparency and, above all, reporting to society regarding the responsibilities of the State and private actors.”