Football still dominates Brazil’s booming sports betting market, but new data show that women’s football, basketball, volleyball and even esports are quietly reshaping the country’s betting landscape. A recent survey from Grupo Globo and research firm Offerwise, based on 1,000 Brazilians over 18, confirms that 76% of bettors place wagers on men’s football, far ahead of any other sport.
Behind that headline number, however, the picture is more nuanced. Women’s football already attracts around 31% of bettors, reflecting both the growth of local and international competitions and better media coverage. Basketball reaches 23% and volleyball 19%, giving operators a clear second tier of sports with meaningful engagement and room to grow.
Other recent studies on the Brazilian market line up with Globo’s findings. Across different samples, between 88% and 94% of bettors say they have wagered on football in the last 90 days, while basketball and volleyball consistently appear as the next most popular options. Esports and Formula 1 remain niche by comparison, but show a steady upward trend among younger demographics.
The survey also sheds light on how Brazilians bet. The average player holds about 3.4 sportsbook accounts, a sign of both intense competition and a relatively mature online market. Around 86% of bets are placed via online platforms or mobile apps, and the main motivations are straightforward: “winning money” and “excitement/entertainment” top the list. Classic markets such as match result, “both teams to score” and total goals remain the favourites, especially in football.
All of this is happening while Brazil’s regulated market scales up at speed. Between January and September 2025, the country collected roughly USD 1.26 billion (BRL 6.8 billion) in taxes from regulated betting, a staggering increase compared to 2024, when the legal framework was only beginning to take shape. Projections from H2 Gambling Capital suggest that online GGR could reach BRL 31 billion in 2025 and potentially BRL 64 billion by 2030, under the umbrella of Law 14.790, which covers fixed-odds betting, esports and virtual sports.
For operators, the message is clear: Brazil is still a football-first market, but no longer a football-only market. To build sustainable brands in this “gold rush” environment, sportsbooks will need to localise products around the football fan while developing credible offers in women’s football, basketball, volleyball and esports—backed by sharp mobile UX, responsible gambling tools and strong differentiation in a market where most bettors already juggle multiple accounts.
