During a public appearance at the APAS Show 2025 in São Paulo, Brazil’s acting president and vice president Geraldo Alckmin made headlines with a pointed statement: the government intends to “tighten” control over the country’s burgeoning online betting industry, but without eliminating it.
“We must regulate more strictly,” Alckmin said, referencing the rise of so-called “bets” in Brazil, a booming sector that has drawn increasing scrutiny. His comment—“We must squeeze them, but not kill them”—reflects a government strategy to increase taxation and operational limits while still preserving the market’s economic potential.
The urgency comes amid growing concern over the social and economic impacts of unregulated online gambling. Recent data from Brazil’s Central Bank revealed that in August 2024, recipients of the Bolsa Família welfare program spent over R$3 billion on online bets. Supermarket leaders have warned that betting may be cutting into essential food purchases.
In response, Brazil has already taken major steps: banning credit card use for online betting (effective January 2025) and initiating the blocking of over 2,000 unauthorized betting sites.
While the administration aims to collect more tax revenue from legal operators, it also seeks to curb the expansion of illegal platforms and protect vulnerable populations from addiction and overspending.
