Brazil has seen significant growth in the number of people placing online bets on betting platforms. According to a PoderData survey conducted between September 27 and 29, 2025, 36% of voters say they have already bet on digital platforms. This percentage reflects the market’s expansion following the regulation of sports betting, in effect since January of this year, which brought clear rules for companies’ operations and increased public confidence.
Sports betting was authorized by Law No. 13,756/2018, but the sector only became officially regulated in 2025. The Ministry of Finance considers this measure strategic both for organizing the market and for increasing tax revenue. Furthermore, experts believe that formalizing the rules has led more Brazilians to declare their betting practices, reducing stigma and increasing exposure to the industry’s effects.
The growth in the number of bettors has also had financial repercussions. The PoderData survey reveals that the debt rate among digital platform players more than doubled in 11 months, rising from 16% in October 2024 to 35% in September 2025. Although 51% of respondents claim to have no betting-related debt, this data raises an alarm about the social impacts of the sector, reinforcing the importance of the protective measures created by the government.
The survey also revealed how different profiles behave when it comes to betting. Among those who have already gambled, 51% said they had not incurred debt, while 35% said they had, and 14% preferred not to answer. Demographic stratification indicates that the habit is more common among men (43%), people with up to elementary school education (42%), and voters with incomes of up to two minimum wages (40%).
Despite the sector’s growth, the government is seeking to mitigate potential risks. An action plan was created to protect gamblers, which includes mental health programs, self-exclusion mechanisms—allowing users to block all accounts on authorized sites—and restrictions on participation by Bolsa Família and BPC (Continuous Cash Benefit) beneficiaries.
The survey was conducted by PoderData, a company of the Poder360 Jornalismo group, using its own resources. Data were collected from September 27 to 29, 2025, through calls to cell phones and landlines. 2,500 interviews were conducted in 178 municipalities across the 27 states of the Brazilian Federation. The margin of error is 2 percentage points.
