17, 7 million Brazilians bet in the 1st half of the year and more than 15,000 illegal sites were blocked

The Secretariat of Prizes and Betting of the Ministry of Finance (SPA-MF) released on Tuesday (26) the balance sheet of the first six months of Brazil's regulated fixed-odds betting market. The report shows that 17.7 million Brazilians placed bets during the period and that Anatel has blocked 15,463 illegal sites since October 2024. Currently, the country has 78 licensed operators in operation.

Between January and June, the SPA opened 66 inspection processes involving 93 licensed bookmakers, imposing sanctions in 35 cases. In the financial system, 24 institutions reported 277 suspicious transactions and closed 255 accounts linked to illegal betting operations. In addition, the SPA notified 13 payment institutions, which subsequently reported the closure of accounts belonging to 45 irregular companies.

In the field of advertising, a partnership with Brazil's Digital Council - which includes Google, Meta, TikTok, Kwai, and Amazon - led to the removal of 112 influencer pages and 146 posts promoting illegal gambling sites.

Bettor profile

The report from the General Betting Management System (Sigap) shows that men account for 71% of bettors, compared to 28.9% women. By age group, the highest share is among those 31 to 40 years old (27.8%), followed by 18 to 25 (22.4%) and 25 to 30 (22.2%).

Revenue and Collections

The sector's gross gaming revenue (GGR) for the semester reached R$ 17.4 billion, with an average spending of R$ 983 per active bettor (around R$ 164 per month). The Federal Revenue Service collected R$ 3.8 billion in federal taxes and social contributions, while mandatory allocations under Law 14,790/23 totaled R$ 2.14 billion. In addition, the SPA raised R$ 2.2 billion in authorization fees and R$ 50 million in inspection fees paid by licensed operators.

According to Secretary Regis Dudena, this balance marks a new stage of transparency and consolidation in the sector: "From now on, the debate on Brazil's fixed-odds betting market can take place on more solid ground, moving forward based on evidence".