Brazil Finance Ministry Report Details Revenue and Responsible Gambling Measures at Risk Under Betting Ban

According to Brazil’s Ministry of Finance report, the regulated fixed-odds betting market generated gross gaming revenue (GGR) of R$7.6 billion, and benefits were transferred to legal beneficiaries of approximately R$914.1 million in the first quarter of 2026. It was prepared by the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA-MF) and was made public after being requested under the Brazilian Access to Information Law, which is valid from January to March.

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The figures make the point of the financial and institutional adjustments that were made thanks to Provisional Measure No. 1,394/2026, which banned the regulated market of betting. If the rate of increase had remained constant for the quarter, then the statutory allocation would be around R$3.6 billion a year (without taxes, licensing fees, and charges for regulatory inspection).

Healthcare Receives 1% of Statutory Allocations.

The report includes 15.18 million unique CPF holders who wagered during the quarter, and 97.9 million active CPF accounts and 113.3 million active CPF accounts by operators and brands, respectively. Of all identified bettors, 31.99% were women and 68.01% men. The most populous age group was 31-40 years old,d representing 28.85% of the total population.

Under the legal framework, around R$9.1 million (1%) was spent on healthcare of the R$914.1 million allocated. Sports got about R$329 million, and tourism got about R$255 million. These allocations are based on the percentages set by Law No. 14,790/2023 and not on a new allocation made by the government.

Responsible Gambling Programs Face Uncertainty

Government actions to prevent gambling-related harm are also detailed in the SPA-MF report. The interministerial working group, comprised of the finance ministry, the health ministry, the sports ministry, and the Secretariat of Social Communication, prepared a plan for a self-exclusion platform, health self-assessment tool, treatment protocols, and training for professionals of the Brazilian psychosocial care system.

An athlete education campaign was also part of the plan. Those opposed will say that removing the regulated market would make it harder to implement these measures, with consumers supported but not having any of the formal protections they have now if they chose to deal with an unregulated operator.

A special working group dedicated to sports integrity had also been organizing a national event to educate law enforcement, a national integrity policy, and the Apita Cidadão application for the reporting of possible manipulation. Also included in the report are cooperation agreements with public and private institutions.

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Questions Over Report’s Delayed Publication

The document has been published in response to an information request submitted on June 27 and responded to on July 30, 2026. The requester says that the name of the file suggests the report was finished on May 7, and hasn’t been published for close to three months.

The SPA-MF responded by stating that the SIGAP database was in a verification process and should be published in official channels once it was complete. Inconsistencies were also observed in the delivered document, such as two different GGRs and a monitoring chart for 9 months in one quarterly report.

Industry Expert Criticizes Government Decision

Amilton Noble, a betting specialist, contended that the report proves the dangers of breaking up the regulated system. Of the total that was collected in the quarter, R$9 million was invested in health, R$329 million in sports, and R$255 million in tourism. Who thought the government was worried about healthcare anymore?

Noble also raised doubts about the future of the responsible gambling and sports-integrity measures. “Of the total collected during the quarter, only R$9 million was allocated to healthcare, while the Ministry of Sports received R$329 million and the Ministry of Tourism R$255 million. Does anyone really still believe that the government was concerned about healthcare?” he asked.

He concluded: “Ironically, the final page of the document carries the government’s slogan: ‘Unity and Reconstruction.’ It should be changed to ‘Disunity and Deconstruction.’”

The report offers a preview of the revenue, consumer information and regulations of the pre-prohibition licensed betting market in Brazil. How the law will affect public revenue, player protection and sports integrity will depend on its journey through Congress and the courts.

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Source: BNL Data