Brazil Illegal Betting Sites Rise 141% After Lula Ban

The number of illegal betting platforms operating in Brazil has risen sharply following President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s decision on September 25 to sign a provisional measure banning betting activities in the country.

According to the Bet Legal platform, almost 415 new illegal betting websites appeared after the provisional measure was published.

At 6 p.m. on Friday, when Lula announced the end of online gaming, authorities had identified 295 illegal web domains. A further 294 illegal gambling websites were detected on Saturday.

By 7:10 p.m. on Sunday, the number had climbed to 710 domains, representing a 141% increase over two days.

The National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) said the growth shows that unlicensed operators continue to find opportunities outside Brazil’s regulatory framework.

Without authorisation, without the same regulatory obligations and operating outside the scope of oversight, the clandestine market continues to find space.

ANJL President Plínio Lemos Jorge also warned that illegal operators could benefit from the prohibition of licensed betting by drawing players towards unregulated platforms.

The clandestine websites have expanded their offerings and continue to operate outside the law and oversight. Now, they will take advantage of the prohibition of legal betting to attract bettors to the illegal market.

According to the ANJL, the government not only loses billions in potential budget revenue but also pushes more than 30 million gamblers towards illegal betting websites.

Following the implementation of Provisional Measure 1,394, Brazil’s Ministries of Justice and Finance blocked 506 websites linked to illegal operators.