Brazil intensifies fight against illegal betting with site takedowns and financial oversight

Brazilian authorities have once again stepped up efforts to combat unlicensed gambling operations, with the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) reporting that more than 18,000 illegal betting websites have been blocked since October 2024.

Of that total, 15,000 domains were removed in the first six months of 2025, coinciding with the rollout of the country’s regulated fixed-odds betting market.

Currently, 79 operators hold licenses to offer sports betting in Brazil. The clampdown on illegal platforms is part of a technical cooperation agreement signed between Anatel and the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) of the Ministry of Finance, which aims to accelerate domain takedowns.

Officials acknowledge, however, that blocking websites alone cannot eliminate the illegal market, as unlicensed companies can quickly set up new domains. To address this, SPA has expanded its enforcement strategy across three key areas: site takedowns in partnership with Anatel, disruption of financial flows linked to unlawful operators, and monitoring of advertising in cooperation with technology companies through Brazil’s Digital Council.

Between January and June, 24 financial and payment institutions filed 277 reports and closed the accounts of 255 individuals and companies tied to unauthorized betting activity. SPA also issued notices to 33 payment providers, requesting information and directing them to shut down accounts, which led to the termination of many unlicensed operators’ banking access.

At the same time, the regulated market has shown significant activity in its initial months. Gross gaming revenue (GGR) from licensed operators reached R$17.4 billion ($3.2 billion) in the first half of 2025. On average, each active bettor spent around R$983 ($181) during the six-month period, or roughly R$164 ($30) per month. Approximately 17.7 million Brazilians placed wagers through the 182 websites and apps authorized by SPA.

Beyond enforcement, the government is also prioritizing responsible gambling measures. Officials argue that regulation itself is a critical step in addressing risks linked to problem gambling.

“Regulation restricts the activity and defines how the service can be offered. It also makes it possible to talk about it. Having a regulated sector creates the chance to communicate with the public: look, if you are going to bet, this is entertainment, you are spending money. If that’s fine with you, fine – but be careful because it is a risky activity,” one government source said, as reported by Games Magazine Brasil.

A joint initiative between SPA, the Ministry of Sports, and the Ministry of Health is developing measures to mitigate gambling-related harm. These include training programs led by the Ministry of Health and Fiocruz to prepare the Unified Health System (SUS) to assist individuals with gambling problems, the launch of a centralized self-exclusion tool hosted on the Ministry of Finance’s website, and the introduction of risk-propensity tests for bettors. In addition, the Central Bank and Febraban have created a debt-assessment tool to help gamblers evaluate their financial health.