Study: Brazilians spend on betting about the same as streaming
Brazil.– 11 November 2025 – www.zonadeazar.com An LCA Consultoria study for IBJR finds that net spending on fixed-odds betting matches streaming outlays and has a limited impact on household budgets.
Overview
Using data from the Central Bank, Itaú, J.P. Morgan and H2 Gambling Capital, LCA Consultoria estimates net annual betting spend at R$ 16–35 billion after prizes and withdrawals. That equals 0.1%–0.3% of GDP and 0.2%–0.5% of household consumption, placing betting in the same bracket as cinema and streaming within leisure spending.
Details / Context
Betting is framed as leisure, not investment. Compared with the broader creative economy (cinema, theatre, photography, games), betting accounts for 7%–16% of family outlays in that segment.
A typical bettor is under 30, deposits ~R$ 100/month, and has an effective net spend of ~R$ 15/month.
Survey references: FecomércioSP (60% bet for fun) and ANBIMA (70% don’t view betting as investment).
Debt and financial stress
Central Bank and CNC series indicate the share of indebted families stayed stable (2022–2024) while debt-service burden declined. Even assuming all betting spend went to debt repayment, the aggregate reduction would be <0.5 pp.
Bolsa Família and flows
A Central Bank note cited R$ 3 billion in gross Pix transfers from beneficiaries to platforms in August 2024 (21% of that month’s program value). LCA argues gross flows overstate consumption: using 7%–15% GGR, net spend equals 1.5%–3.2% of Bolsa Família, or R$ 42–R$ 90 per family.
Future outlook
Evidence supports responsible-gaming policy calibrated to actual net effects, with priorities in youth protection, financial literacy, and risk monitoring.
Specific sub-topics
- Metrics: GDP/consumption shares, GGR, Central Bank time series.
- Consumer profile: Low ticket, entertainment-driven, non-investment.
- Debt impact: Marginal to null at the aggregate level.
- Public policy: Data-driven prevention and transparency.
🔗 Edited: @_fonta www.zonadeazar.com