Brazil is third in the world for online sports betting users, behind only the U.S. and the United Kingdom, according to a study released this Tuesday by ComScore. There are 42.5 million unique users in Brazil, which corresponds to more than 30 percent of internet users in the country.
Data shows that sports betting has become particularly popular among the middle class, which shrank considerably during the recent pandemic. Most punters are male and over 45 years old, and half (49 percent) of Brazilian bettors are considered class C (families with a monthly income of between BRL 4,180 and BRL 10,500, or USD 854 and USD 2,144).
Another study released this week by SimilarWeb shows Brazil as the world leader in sports betting, representing almost 23 percent of movement on global sports betting sites.
Betting has been legal in Brazil since 2018, but was only recently regulated, with a provisional decree issued at the end of July. The rules are already being applied, but will have to be approved by Congress within 120 days.
Online bookmakers now pay 18 percent in taxes, which the government said will fund education, security and sports projects, and a grant to allow them to operate legally. Meanwhile, gamblers will pay a 30 percent tax on prizes that exceed the exemption limit of BRL 2,112.
A lack of regulation led the government to request investigations into how betting platforms currently operate. Most are officially based abroad, despite running ads in Brazil and sponsoring Brazilian football teams.
With an eye on growing numbers, states have also recently begun to regulate their own sports betting lotteries. The idea is to fatten state funds with revenue from bookmakers accredited by state authorities. The first ones started operating this year in states such as Rio de Janeiro and Paraíba.
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