TLDR
- Brazilian families lost an estimated R$62.5 billion (over $12 billion) to sports betting in 2025.
- Betting companies received roughly R$350.97 billion through Pix, Brazil’s instant payment system, during the year.
- The government’s official revenue figure of R$36.9 billion is far below the Comsefaz estimate, pointing to a large unregulated market.
- A ban on Bolsa Família welfare recipients betting, introduced in October 2025, was followed by slower growth in betting transactions.
- A separate study suggests illegal betting could make up 41% to 51% of Brazil’s total betting market.
Brazilian households lost close to R$62.5 billion to sports betting platforms in 2025. That figure equals more than $12 billion and represents about 0.68% of the country’s gross national disposable household income.
The data comes from the third edition of the Fiscal Bulletin of Brazilian States. The report was produced by Comsefaz, the National Committee of Finance Secretaries, working alongside Cicef.
Researchers built the estimate using Central Bank data combined with other economic statistics. The loss figure reflects the gap between money placed on bets and prizes paid back to players.
How Much Money Moved Through Pix
Betting companies received around R$350.97 billion through Pix transfers during 2025. Pix is Brazil’s instant payment system used by millions of people daily.
Not all of that money was lost. Much of it flowed back to users as winnings.
The net loss of R$62.5 billion is the number researchers say best reflects the real cost to households. Payment patterns also shifted after Brazil required betting companies to register in January 2025.
Transfers from individuals to betting related businesses increased. Money flowing back to users grew at a slower pace during the same period.
There is a wide gap between this estimate and government figures. The Ministry of Finance reported R$36.9 billion in revenue from legal betting operators in 2025.
That leaves a difference of R$25.6 billion between the two sets of numbers. Researchers say the gap highlights how hard it is to measure Brazil’s betting economy using only regulated market data.
Illegal Betting and a Welfare Ban
A separate study from LCA, commissioned by the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming, estimated illegal betting could account for 41% to 51% of the total market. The Comsefaz bulletin does not confirm that the entire gap comes from illegal operators, but the numbers show the scale of the unregulated side.
The bulletin also tracked Pix activity from October 2024 through March 2026. It found an average monthly transaction volume of R$24.1 billion linked to betting during that stretch.
That flow was not steady. Growth slowed after the government barred Bolsa Família welfare recipients from betting in October 2025.
Researchers say the change was large enough to affect overall Pix volumes tied to betting. This suggests lower income households make up a large share of betting customers in Brazil.
Brazilian law also requires betting platforms to block people identified as compulsive gamblers. Attorney Júlio Leone has said operators may still target vulnerable users with bonuses and vouchers even after risky gambling behavior is flagged.
That claim is a criticism of enforcement practices rather than a finding from the Comsefaz report itself. The financial data itself shows tens of billions of reais moving through betting platforms in a single year.
Households recorded a net loss in the tens of billions of reais during that same period. The numbers show that Brazil’s betting boom extends well beyond the revenue operators officially report, showing up instead in the everyday payment system used across the country.
