Business · Companies · 9 hrs ago
Brazil bans online casinos and sports betting amid gambling concerns
The Brazilian government banned online casinos and sports betting, including a popular digital slot game known as the “little tiger,” amid concerns about addiction and debt.
Gambling was legalised in 2018, and Brazil became the world’s fifth-largest betting market last year.
The legalisation law initially set few rules, and organised crime groups remained active, according to a Brazilian justice official.
In 2024, the government added advertising limits, age checks and fees for betting companies, but officials said safeguards were hard to enforce.
One estimate says gambling reduced Brazil’s economic output by 1% last year, while a 2025 academic survey found about 7% of Brazilians showed signs of problem gambling.
The ban marks a shift from regulation to prohibition, unlike the limits and enforcement measures used in the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy.
Brazil banned online casinos and sports betting, including the popular “little tiger” slot game, in a decree issued late last month.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the ban was intended to address gambling addiction and its effects on people.
The ban follows a rapid expansion of gambling since it was legalized in 2018, with Brazil becoming the world’s fifth-largest betting market last year.
The article says earlier efforts to regulate the industry have struggled to curb gambling harms and organized crime.
- Who
- The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, imposed the ban.
- What
- It banned online casinos and sports betting, including the “little tiger” slot game.
- When
- Late last month, according to the article published on October 17, 2026.
- Where
- Brazil.
- Why
- Lula cited gambling addiction and its effects, including debt and illness. The government had also sought to protect bettors and weaken organized crime.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Brazil prohibited gambling, closing venues including betting houses and bingo halls.
Gambling was legalized by a right-wing government.
Lula’s government introduced measures including limits on betting advertising and age checks, and began charging licensing fees and a 12% rate on revenue.
The Brazilian government prohibited online casinos and sports betting.
- Brazil’s gambling market
- Fifth-largest in the world last year
- Betting operators’ licensing fee
- R$ 30 million
- Tax on operators’ revenue
- 12%
- Problem gambling
- About 7% of Brazilians, according to a 2025 academic study
What people are saying
As pessoas estão endividadas, se matando e adoecendo por uma doença chamada ludopatia