Brazil: Suspected Illegal Betting Links Surge Sevenfold After Ban
Brazil.- 16 October 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com Brazil has recorded a sharp increase in suspected illegal gambling activity following the introduction of a provisional measure prohibiting licensed betting platforms on 25 September 2026.
According to a report by the LegitBet monitoring system, shared by the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL), the daily number of suspicious betting links increased approximately sevenfold following the restrictions.
The findings, released on 9 October, indicate a significant expansion in the online visibility of potentially unauthorised gambling platforms.
Suspicious Links Increase From 77 to 549 Per Day
The monitoring report compared activity before and after the prohibition:
- 8–23 September: an average of 77 suspicious links per day.
- 1–7 October: an average of 549 daily links.
- 7 October: a peak of 948 suspicious links.
- 8 October: a further 733 links detected.
By 8 October, LegitBet had identified 41,716 potentially suspicious websites, with 30,593 classified as suspicious following review.
On 8 October alone, the system discovered 79 new domains, including 55 subsequently confirmed as suspicious.
Importantly, this classification does not constitute a definitive legal finding that the websites are operating illegally.
Telegram and Social Media Support Distribution
The report identified several channels used to promote potentially unauthorised gambling websites.
Internet searches accounted for 32% of detections, while other databases represented 30%.
Meanwhile, Telegram accounted for 13%, with social media platforms contributing a further 8%.
Common characteristics included:
- Payments through Pix.
- Registration using mobile phone numbers only.
- Daily bonuses and referral promotions.
- Fortune-style casino games.
- Domains featuring similar numerical sequences.
The monitoring system also identified promotional offers advertising bonuses worth up to R$1 million.
Concerns Over Tax Revenue and Consumer Protection
The increase in suspicious gambling websites has renewed discussions about the economic consequences of the prohibition.
Guilherme Mello, Executive Secretary at Brazil’s Ministry of Planning, questioned the potential loss of tax revenue, suggesting that consumers might redirect their spending towards other economic activities.
However, industry analysis warns that if customers continue gambling through unlicensed platforms, spending could shift towards businesses that do not contribute taxes or licensing fees in Brazil.
Such developments could affect public funding allocated to healthcare, public security, sport and tourism, while potentially reducing consumer protections.
Next Steps and Impact
LegitBet’s findings indicate that the prohibition of licensed betting platforms was accompanied by an approximately sevenfold increase in the daily detection of suspicious betting links.
Although the figures do not establish how much actual illegal gambling expenditure has increased, they demonstrate greater online exposure to potentially unauthorised operators.
For Brazil’s gambling industry, the central challenge will be restricting unlicensed activity while assessing the prohibition’s implications for taxation and consumer protection.
Editó: @fonta
