STORY-TRÅD·sport

Brazilian families lost USD 12 billion to online gambling in 2025

Brazilian households lost over USD 12 billion to gambling last year. This amount represents the net figure – the difference between the money wagered and the money returned as winnings. It stands at an average of USD 920 million per month, covering October 2024 through March 2026. The losses total 0.68 percent of the country’s gross national disposable household income and include transfers made via Pix to betting companies. During the same period, bets generated nearly USD 68 billion in transactions via the instant payment method. Notícias relacionadas:Fintechs warned for handling illegal betting funds.Brazil expands telemedicine care for gambling addiction.The data can be found in a report released this Thursday (Aug. 6) by the National Committee of Finance Secretaries (Comsefaz) and were based on Central Bank statistics. The study shows that, since the regulation of sports betting in January last year, there has been a shift in the volume of Pix transfers directed toward the arts, culture, sports, and recreation sector – indicating that a larger portion of household income is being spent on betting. The law regulating sports betting requires companies to block access for users identified as compulsive gamblers. According to attorney Júlio Leone, however, this has not been happening. “When it is detected that a person has a gambling addiction […], the algorithm should freeze their account. But it does the opposite – it sends more bonuses, more vouchers, and more incentives to encourage them to keep betting. That’s when they lose all their money.” Since October last year, when the ban on gambling for recipients of the Bolsa Família welfare program went into effect, there has been a slowdown in the pace of transactions, the figures show. The results indicate that the measure had concrete effects on the aggregate volume of transactions, suggesting that lower-income families had a significant presence in the betting market.