For years, Brazil’s betting market lived in a bit of a grey area — hugely popular, undeniably massive, and largely unregulated. Then came January 1, 2025, a date that officially changed the game. That’s when Brazil launched its regulated iGaming and sports betting market, turning what had long been an open secret into a structured, supervised industry.
The framework came into force under Law 14.790/2023, with the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) stepping in as the referee. From licensing rules to compliance requirements, the message was clear: betting in Brazil was no longer the Wild West — it was time to play by the rules.
And the goals behind the regulation were ambitious (and overdue). Curb illegal betting. Protect players. Bring transparency to a market handling billions in wagers. And, crucially, generate reliable data to support smarter public policies and a healthier ecosystem overall. One year later, the big question is: did it work? And just as importantly — what can iGaming operators learn from Brazil’s first regulated year?
The Regulatory Journey: Year One in Review.
Brazil’s regulated iGaming and sports betting market didn’t just limp out of the gate on January 1, 2025 — it sprinted. After decades of anticipation and false starts, the rules finally kicked in, and both the industry and bettors responded in force.
The market launch came with a structured licensing process that balanced speed with rigour. By mid-2025, there were 78 licensed operators offering 182 regulated brands across Brazil, a significant expansion from the initial cohort of provisional and definitive licences issued at launch [InterGame Online].
This licensing framework created a controlled entry point for operators, requiring federal authorization and ongoing supervision by the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) — the federal body charged with regulating and overseeing compliance.
Player Uptake and Traffic Growth.
Brazilians didn’t just tiptoe into the regulated market — they jumped in with both feet. In the first six months alone, more than 17.7 million Brazilians placed bets on licensed platforms [InterGame Online].
Traffic to betting sites surged dramatically soon after regulation began. In just the first quarter of 2025, regulated betting platforms recorded over 5 billion visits, averaging more than 650 hits per second, representing a 90 % increase compared with the prior quarter [Games Bras].
This kind of traffic spike tells operators one thing clearly: Brazil’s regulated market was not only legal — it was in demand.
Revenue, Taxes, and Economic Impact.
The financial picture mirrored the engagement levels. From January through June 2025, licensed operators generated approximately R$ 17.4 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR) — about US$ 3.2 billion — underscoring the considerable size of the nascent regulated sector [InterGame Online].
Importantly, the government also began to see revenue from the market:
- R$ 3.8 billion in federal taxes were collected from regulated sports betting and iGaming activity in the same period [InterGame Online].
- The SPA collected roughly R$ 2.2 billion in licensing fees and about R$ 50 million in supervisory fees [InterGame Online].
These early figures helped shift the conversation from “what might happen” to “what is happening,” grounding discussions about public policy and economic impact in hard numbers.
Combatting the Illegal Market.
One of the regulation’s core objectives was to shrink Brazil’s thriving underground betting ecosystem — and the early enforcement data shows active efforts. Regulatory authorities, including Anatel and the SPA, took down over 15,400 illegal betting pages by mid-2025 [iGaming Today].
That said, the illegal sector is still a significant hurdle (explored later in this article), but the first year’s enforcement push was decisive in signalling that unlicensed operators can no longer act with impunity.
What’s the Takeaway for Operators?
Brazil’s first year of regulation proves two things:
- The demand is real and massive — regulated platforms now have measurable consumer engagement they never had in the informal market.
- Regulation pays — literally and figuratively — both for operators (through clear rules and legitimacy) and the government (through significant tax revenue).
But launching is one thing; growing sustainably and responsibly in a newly regulated environment is a long game — one that requires adaptability, commitment to compliance, and deep local market insights.
Market Growth & Economic Impact.
If 2025 proved anything, it’s that Brazil didn’t just open a regulated betting market — it unleashed one. Once the rules were in place, growth followed fast, and the numbers from year one make it clear why Brazil immediately landed on every global operator’s radar.
In its first year under regulation, Brazil quickly became one of the largest regulated betting markets in the world. By mid-2025, more than 17.7 million Brazilians had already placed at least one bet on licensed platforms — a remarkable figure for a market still finding its regulatory footing [InterGame Online].
Traffic figures tell a similar story. In Q1 2025 alone, regulated betting platforms recorded over 5 billion visits, representing a 90% increase compared to pre-regulation levels
[GamesBras].
In practical terms, that’s millions of players actively choosing legal, regulated platforms — and doing so repeatedly.
Revenue Generation: From Grey Market to GDP Contributor.
From January to June 2025, Brazil’s regulated iGaming and sports betting market generated approximately R$17.4 billion in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) [InterGame Online].
That performance immediately placed Brazil among the top five betting markets globally by volume, according to industry projections published later in the year [Yogonet].
More importantly for policymakers, regulation turned betting into a measurable source of public revenue:
- R$ 3.8 billion collected in federal taxes in the first half of 2025 [GamesBras].
- Around R$ 2.2 billion generated through licensing fees paid by operators [iGaming Today].
For a market that previously contributed little beyond indirect economic activity, this marked a dramatic shift — and reinforced the argument that regulation wasn’t just necessary, but economically strategic.
Jobs, Investment, and Ecosystem Growth.
Beyond tax revenue, regulation triggered a wave of foreign investment, local hiring, and infrastructure development. Licensed operators were required to establish compliance structures, payment integrations, customer support, responsible gaming frameworks, and detailed reporting systems aligned with Brazilian rules [iGaming Business].
This created demand for:
- Local tech providers and platform suppliers.
- Compliance, legal, and payment specialists.
- Marketing, customer support, and risk teams operating inside Brazil.
In short, betting stopped being just entertainment — it became an industry with tangible economic weight.
Lessons From Year One.
Brazil’s first regulated year showed that latent demand was never the problem. The challenge had always been structure. Once regulation provided legal certainty, players migrated, operators invested, and the government finally gained visibility into a multi-billion-real market.
For iGaming operators, the takeaway is clear: Brazil isn’t a “future opportunity.” It’s already a heavyweight — and those who entered early, with scalable and compliant platforms, gained a decisive advantage.
Who Are the Brazilian Bettors?
One of the biggest advantages of regulation is visibility. For the first time, Brazil’s betting market stopped being a black box and started producing reliable data. And year one already tells us a lot about who is betting, how often, and how much.
In 2025, the regulated betting audience in Brazil skewed clearly male. Around 71% of bettors were men, while 29% were women [InterGame Online].
That said, the female segment is growing steadily — particularly in online casino games and instant-win formats — suggesting room for more inclusive UX, game portfolios, and marketing strategies.
Brazil’s betting audience is also overwhelmingly young:
- 31–40 years old: 27.8%
- 18–25 years old: 22.4%
- 26–30 years old: 22.2%
Together, players aged 18 to 40 account for over 70% of all bettors in the regulated market
[InterGame Online].
This age distribution helps explain why mobile-first — or better yet, every-device — experiences perform so well in Brazil. These players are comfortable switching between smartphone, desktop, and tablet throughout the day.
Spending Behavior.
Despite the massive scale, Brazil is not (yet) a high-stakes market. Average monthly spend per bettor in the first half of 2025 was approximately R$ 164, pointing to a high-frequency, low-ticket betting culture [InterGame Online].
For operators, this reinforces the importance of:
- Fast bet placement
- Frictionless payments
- Retention mechanics over one-off big wins
The lesson from 2025 is clear: success in Brazil isn’t about targeting a narrow VIP audience. It’s about serving millions of everyday players with fast, reliable, localized, and mobile-friendly experiences — while building long-term trust in a newly regulated environment.
What Brazilians Are Betting On.
If regulation told us who Brazilian bettors are, 2025 also made one thing very clear: what they love to bet on. Spoiler alert — football reigns supreme, but it’s far from the only game in town.
Sports Betting: Football Is King (No Surprises There).
Let’s start with the obvious. Football dominates sports betting in Brazil, accounting for the vast majority of wagers placed on regulated platforms in 2025.
According to InPlaySoft data, the most bet-on competitions during the first year of regulation were:
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
- Copa Libertadores
- UEFA Champions League
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série B
- FIFA Club World Cup
Domestic football clearly outperformed international leagues, reinforcing how emotionally connected Brazilian bettors are to local teams and competitions. For operators, this highlights the importance of:
- Deep coverage of national leagues
- Rich pre-match and in-play markets
- Fast odds updates during live games
In-play betting, in particular, proved to be a major engagement driver, fueled by Brazil’s passion for live football and second-screen behavior.
Beyond Football: Other Sports Gaining Ground.
While football took center stage, other sports steadily attracted betting interest throughout 2025 [iGaming Solutions]:
- Basketball, driven mainly by the NBA.
- Tennis, especially ATP and Grand Slam events.
- Volleyball, a traditionally strong sport in Brazil.
- Esports, led by CS2 and League of Legends.
Major international events also played a role. Tournaments like Copa América, international friendlies, and Olympic qualifying events generated noticeable betting spikes, proving that Brazilians respond strongly to big moments on the global sports calendar.
Casino & iGaming: Fast, Simple, and Interactive Wins.
While sports betting led in volume, online casino games carved out a substantial share of player engagement in the regulated market. The most popular casino formats in Brazil during 2025 were [Mercado Comum]:
- Slots, particularly localized and crash-style games.
- Instant-win and “provably fair” games.
- Live casino, especially roulette and game-show formats.
Crash games and fast rounds resonated strongly with Brazilian players, aligning perfectly with the country’s high-frequency, mobile-first betting behavior.
What 2025 Taught Operators About Player Preferences.
Brazilian bettors showed clear patterns in year one:
- They favor live, fast-paced experiences.
- They value local relevance, especially in sports.
- They engage frequently, but with moderate stakes.
- They switch easily between sports and casino products.
In other words, Brazil is not a market for one-dimensional platforms. The operators that performed best in 2025 were those offering seamless cross-product journeys — moving players from pre-match bets to in-play, from football to casino, and from desktop to mobile without friction.
Challenges & Lessons from Year One.
Brazil’s first year of regulated betting delivered impressive growth — but it wasn’t without friction. Regulation brought clarity and legitimacy, but it also exposed structural challenges that operators, regulators, and policymakers are still working through. And that’s exactly where the most valuable lessons lie.
Consumer Protection & Responsible Gambling: From Rules to Reality.
Player protection was one of the pillars of Brazil’s regulation, and 2025 marked the first real test of those safeguards. Under the new framework, licensed operators are required to:
- Enforce strict age verification (18+).
- Implement KYC and AML procedures.
- Offer responsible gambling tools, such as self-exclusion and spending limits.
- Follow tighter advertising and sponsorship rules, especially around minors.
However, year one showed that regulation alone doesn’t equal consumer awareness. Many players still struggled to distinguish between licensed and unlicensed platforms, and responsible gambling tools were often underused.
Lesson learned: Education matters as much as enforcement. Operators that proactively explained limits, safety tools, and licensing credentials built more trust — and stronger long-term retention.
Compliance: Clear Rules, Complex Execution.
From a legal standpoint, Brazil’s framework is robust. From an operational standpoint? It’s demanding. Throughout 2025, operators had to adapt to:
- Evolving regulatory interpretations.
- Reporting obligations via the SIGAP system.
- Payment monitoring and transaction transparency.
- Ongoing audits and supervisory fees.
For international operators, localization proved especially challenging — from Portuguese-language compliance documentation to adapting global platforms to Brazilian reporting standards.
Lesson learned: In Brazil, compliance is not a one-off checkbox. It’s an ongoing operational capability. Operators with flexible, modular platforms and strong local partners adapted faster — and at lower cost.
Taxation & Market Balance.
Taxation was one of the most debated topics of 2025. While regulation unlocked billions in public revenue, some industry voices warned that high tax pressure could hurt channelization.
In the first half of 2025 alone the government collected R$ 3.8 billion in taxes from regulated betting and iGaming. At the same time, studies suggested that illegal operators still captured a significant share of betting activity, partly because they avoided taxes and could offer more aggressive bonuses.
Lesson learned: Sustainable regulation requires balance. If legal operators can’t compete on price, UX, or speed, players won’t hesitate to migrate — regardless of legality.
The Big Takeaways from Year One.
Brazil’s first year of regulated betting delivered a clear message to the industry:
- Regulation unlocks scale — but also scrutiny
- Growth is easy; sustainable growth is not
- Compliance, technology, and player trust are competitive advantages
For iGaming operators, 2025 wasn’t just a launch year. It was a crash course in operating at scale, under regulation, in one of the most passionate betting markets in the world.
Looking Forward: What Comes Next for Brazil’s Regulated iGaming Market.
If 2025 was about launching and learning, the next phase for Brazil’s regulated betting market will be about optimization, consolidation, and smarter growth. And all signs point to a market that’s only just getting started.
Industry projections consistently rank Brazil as one of the largest future iGaming markets globally. According to market research published in 2025, Brazil is expected to generate multi-billion-dollar annual revenues by the end of the decade, driven by population scale, high mobile penetration, and deep sports engagement:
- Brazil is forecast to become one of the top 3–5 regulated betting markets worldwide over the next few years [Yogonet].
- Strong long-term growth is supported by Brazil’s 183+ million internet users and mobile-first digital behavior [DataReportal].
In other words, regulation didn’t create demand — it simply unlocked it.
Regulation Will Evolve — And So Must Operators.
Brazil’s regulatory framework is still young, and refinement is inevitable. In the coming years, operators can expect:
- Adjustments to advertising and sponsorship rules.
- More sophisticated responsible gambling requirements.
- Stronger enforcement against illegal operators.
- Increased use of data and reporting systems by regulators.
Operators that treat compliance as a living process — not a static obligation — will be far better positioned as rules mature and enforcement tightens.
Competition Will Intensify.
As the market stabilizes, competition will shift. The race will no longer be about who launches first, but about who:
- Retains players more effectively.
- Offers the best localized experience.
- Operates efficiently under Brazil’s tax and compliance structure.
With licensing barriers now clearly defined, Brazil is expected to see:
- Mergers and acquisitions.
- Brand consolidation.
- Increased demand for scalable, modular platforms.
Technology Will be the Ultimate Differentiator.
Brazil’s scale guarantees volatility — traffic spikes, peak betting moments, and cross-product journeys happening simultaneously. The next phase of growth will favor operators that invest in:
- Scalable infrastructure.
- Every-device experiences.
- Real-time data, reporting, and personalization.
- Fast time-to-market for new features and products.
The Forward-Looking Lesson.
Brazil’s first regulated year answered the “Can this market work?” question. The answer was a resounding yes.
Now the question is different: Who is ready to grow with it — sustainably, compliantly, and at scale?
For iGaming operators, the future of Brazil won’t be won by shortcuts or quick wins. It will belong to those who understand the market deeply, respect the regulation, and build platforms designed for one of the most dynamic betting audiences in the world.
InPlaySoft: the Best Choice for Brazil’s Regulated Market.
Brazil’s first year of regulated betting proved that this is a high-scale, high-pressure market where success depends on performance, compliance, and user experience. Operators must handle massive traffic during live sports, meet strict regulatory requirements, and deliver fast, seamless journeys across sportsbook and casino — on every device.
That’s where InPlaySoft makes the difference. With a truly Every-Device First platform, built for scalability, stability, and fast time-to-market, InPlaySoft helps operators launch, operate, and grow confidently in Brazil. From regulation-ready reporting to infrastructure designed for peak demand, it’s the right choice for iGaming operators looking to turn Brazil’s regulated opportunity into long-term success.
