STORY-TRÅD·politik

Online gambling drives Brazilians into debt, addiction

“A huge relief.” That’s how Kaio*, 42, described his reaction upon hearing the news last Friday (Sep. 25) that online gambling companies, or “bets,” had been banned in Brazil. He says he is trying to rebuild his life after losing his car, his home, and his job because of gambling debts. Today, Kaio lives alone in a dormitory in a small town in Goiás state. There, he sleeps on the floor every night. Fearing for his safety because of debts he incurred with loan sharks, he chose to distance himself from his family and stay away. He acknowledges that, over the past six years, his gambling addiction has turned his life upside down. Notícias relacionadas:Online gambling shrinks Brazil’s consumption and economic activity.Brazilian families lost USD 12 billion to online gambling in 2025.Brazil expands telemedicine care for gambling addiction.For this reason, he decided to seek help at a Psychosocial Care Center (CAPS), where he began attending therapy groups and seeing doctors earlier this year. He takes three medications a day. Agência Brasil has been reporting on the issue since the first warnings about rising gambling addiction and its impact on household finances. Regulation Although online betting was authorized in 2018, it was not regulated until December 2023. In other words, betting platforms operated with virtually no regulatory framework for at least five years. It was only after regulations were introduced that rules were established requiring operators to display messages discouraging gambling and warning of its harmful effects. Vulnerabilities Psychiatrist Katia Branco, supervisor of the Pro-Amiti Group, which treats and studies impulse control disorders at Hospital das Clínicas in São Paulo, explains that vulnerable individuals are the group most susceptible to gambling addiction and have been exposed to misinformation and misleading advertising from all sides. According to her, people have been bombarded with ads that foster the false notion that gambling can serve as a source of supplemental income. “These are people who want quick returns and are led to believe they can achieve this through betting. This has become truly dangerous.” Billions in losses Brazilian households lost BRL 62.5 billion to betting from October 2024 to March 2026 - the difference between the amount wagered and the winnings paid out. This amounts to an average loss of BRL 4.7 billion per month over the period. Unenforced regulations The law regulating betting required, for example, that companies block access to users identified as compulsive gamblers. But according to attorney Júlio Leone, this never happened. On the contrary, companies sent countless bonuses and advertisements to bettors. “That’s where bettors loses all their money,” the attorney told Agência Brasil in August. Kaio confirms that this was exactly what was happening. “My cellphone wouldn’t stop receiving messages.” People of all ages fell victim to violations by the platforms, including teenagers. Survey data indicate that 20.4 percent of students in the final years of elementary school and high school said they had placed online bets in the past year. The survey was conducted at the request of the Joint Parliamentary Front for Education by Equidade.info, an initiative that produces data for research. It covered 1,912 students from 191 schools across the country. Among the most striking findings was that some students had started gambling as early as age 11. At least 9.5 percent of students in this age group reported having gambled before. Psychologist Mariana Kehl, a member of the Brazilian Psychological Society, explains that young people are more vulnerable to such temptations because their brains are still developing. Experts explain that the brain regions linked to pleasure and dopamine are highly active during adolescence, while the areas responsible for impulse control and risk assessment do not fully mature until a person’s early 20s. “Adolescents intensely experience the pleasure of winning a bet, but they do not yet have the capacity to control the impulse to place the next bet,” she says. Suicide risks Health care professionals have observed that gamblers of all ages exhibit signs of hopelessness, feeling trapped, social withdrawal, increased alcohol use, or significant behavioral changes. According to psychiatrist Branco, statements about death or no longer wanting to live should be taken seriously and warrant seeking help. “Suicidal ideation should be addressed more openly, both in the doctor’s office and in therapy groups. With proper management, we can reduce the risk and try to help patients,” Branco notes. The specialist points out patients were extremely anxious because of the losses caused by gambling. “Some have thoughts of death, and in the most severe cases, they already experience suicidal ideation because of the financial losses they have suffered,” she explains. Seeking help is essential Neurosurgeon Orlando Maia says that people with gambling addiction may come to see gambling as part of their daily lives as they seek the reward it provides. He explains that people often do not recognize the problem on their own. “They need family members or friends who can help.” Psychologist Claudia Feres, who works at a Psychosocial Support Center in the Federal District, recommends that people with gambling addiction and their families seek professional help. “People come to us who have had suicidal thoughts and have, for example, attempted to take their own lives. It’s a desperate cry for help, as if they were saying they need to end their lives right then and there.” One of the problems, experts say, is that online gambling was easily accessible and available practically 24 hours a day. “It’s a casino in your pocket,” said Luiz Carlos*, 71, a member of Gamblers Anonymous. “Thank God I don’t gamble anymore, because if I did, I’d be lost. In my day, we had to leave the house to gamble. Today, you don’t have to anymore,” he told Rádio Nacional in an interview days before the government banned betting platforms amid public health concerns. In August, as health problems linked to gambling addiction increased, Brazil’s national public health system, the SUS, expanded the number of monthly telephone counseling sessions for people experiencing problems related to online gambling. Following Friday’s announcement of the betting ban, the Ministry of Health announced it would step up efforts to reach out to people with gambling problems, offering support and treatment when necessary. According to Minister Alexandre Padilha, the ministry will implement active outreach policies based on data shared by the Ministries of Finance and Public Security and the Federal Revenue Service. *Fictitious names were used at the request of the interviewees.