Brazil’s War on Illegal Gaming Led to Thousands of Sites Being Blocked in 2025

The arrival of 2025 marked a new chapter for gaming in Brazil as the country introduced regulated sports betting and online gaming. Throughout the year, however, authorities also experienced some of the challenges associated with online gaming firsthand.

Brazil Cracked Down on Unlicensed Gaming

A recent report by the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting shows that authorities have been hard at work blocking unauthorized gaming and betting websites. According to the regulator, its cooperation with Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency led to the blocking of some 25,000 illegal operators.

However, cracking down on offshore sites was only half the battle. In addition to that, Brazil’s gaming authority also led campaigns against the promotion of illegal gaming in the country, seeking to shield players from harm and prevent money from leaking into illegal foreign companies. These included the deletion of 324 social media profiles of influencers promoting unauthorized gaming websites.

The Secretariat of Prizes and Betting also said that its regulatory responsibilities saw the launch of 132 administrative processes against operators, most of which are still ongoing and could lead to penalties due to various violations.

The Brazilian authorities also remained on the lookout for players interacting with offshore websites. The Secretariat of Prizes and Betting was informed of 1,687 players believed to have been transferring funds to illegal betting companies, leading to the closure of 550 bank accounts.

The Legal Industry Flourished, Self-Exclusion Was Introduced

While Brazil’s war against illegal gaming exposed the country to some of the realities of maintaining a regulated framework, the regulated industry was flourishing. Financial data shows that licensed operators generated $7 billion in gross gaming revenue. This resulted in $1.9 billion in taxes being paid to the state.

Further data from Brazil shows that middle-aged men are the most common bettors. Official statistics show that 68.3% of all players were male, with people aged 31-40 making up more than a quarter (28.6%) of all players.

This aligns with data from other regulated markets where adult men also make up the majority of bettors.

Speaking of which, 2025 also saw Brazil introduce a new national self-exclusion scheme to protect vulnerable players from excessive gambling. The program received a staggering 217K requests in its 40 days of operating alone.