Brazil regulated betting market raises $687.5m tax in first six months
Summary
Brazil’s newly regulated online betting market generated BRL3.8 billion (about $687.5 million) in tax revenue in the first six months of regulation, according to Federal Revenue Service (RFB) data. Monthly collections dipped in June to BRL764 million (down 6.1% from May’s BRL814 million), but legal expert Udo Seckelmann says the figures underline the sector’s strong fiscal potential as operators and regulators continue to implement the framework.
Seckelmann argues regulation is outperforming prohibition or informality for public policy and revenue, and expects tax intake to grow as licensing and technical systems settle. However, recent measures — including new advertising restrictions and a provisional measure to raise the gross gaming revenue (GGR) tax to 18% — risk undermining channelisation and could push players back to unregulated alternatives if they are too burdensome.
Land-based legalisation remains unresolved after the Senate postponed a vote on PL 2,234/2022. If approved, land-based activity could massively boost state coffers (one estimate suggests up to BRL20 billion a year) and support tourism.
Source
Key Points
- • RFB reports BRL3.8 billion (~$687.5m) in tax collected from regulated online betting in H1 2025.
- • June collections were BRL764m, a 6.1% fall from May’s BRL814m.
- • Udo Seckelmann (Bichara e Motta Advogados) says early figures show regulation is better than prohibition and expects revenue to rise as the market matures.
- • Stakeholders worry recent measures — new ad limits and a proposed 18% GGR tax — may reduce competitiveness and channelisation, harming long-term tax intake.
- • Land-based legalisation vote delayed; approval could add significant annual revenue (est. ~BRL20bn) and aid tourism.
- • For context, the UK (a mature market) generated £1.62bn (~$2.2bn) in gambling taxes over a comparable six-month period in 2022.
Why should I read this?
Quick heads-up: Brazil’s betting market is already paying into the public purse and could become a major revenue stream — but lawmakers still hold the keys. Read this if you want to know where the money’s coming from, what could derail growth (aggressive tax hikes and ad bans), and why land-based legalisation would be a game-changer for tax receipts and tourism.
Author note
Punchy takeaway: the regulated market is working so far, but policymakers need to balance protection with competitiveness — otherwise those tax figures could stall.