Brazil’s registered bettors rose 75% to 43.8 million by August 2026, but active users fell 7.6% in H1

Brazil’s regulated betting market keeps adding names to the database, but not all of them keep playing. By the end of August 2026, the Ministry of Finance counted 43.8 million Brazilians who had placed a bet on licensed platforms, while active users slipped in the first half of the year — a split that matters for PSPs because it changes how much traffic, turnover, and risk actually move through the system.

1. The 43.8 million figure, obtained via LAI (Lei de Acesso à Informação) and drawn from the government’s SIGAP betting management system, equals 27% of Brazil’s adult population and is up 75.2% from the 25 million recorded at the end of 2025.
2. The data cover 85 companies authorized by the government and two with court permission, but exclude the illegal market. In other words, this is the licensed slice only — the one PSPs, acquirers, and banking partners can actually underwrite and monitor.
3. Active bettors moved in the opposite direction: average monthly active users fell 7.6% in the first half of 2026, from 9.2 million in 2025 to 8.5 million between January and June. The Ministry of Finance tied the decline to higher household debt and restrictions on beneficiaries of Bolsa Família, BPC (Benefício de Prestação Continuada), and Desenrola Brasil.
4. The ministry also said 5 million CPF numbers are blocked from access to betting platforms. Of those, 3 million belong to beneficiaries of social programs, 474,000 to people enrolled in debt renegotiation programs, and 854,000 to users who opted for self-exclusion.
5. Licensed platforms’ revenue rose 5.9% in H1 2026 versus the same period in 2025, while bettors’ net loss reached R$ 20.2 billion, up from R$ 19.1 billion. Deposits fell from R$ 99.2 billion to R$ 88.5 billion, and payouts dropped from R$ 80.1 billion to R$ 68.3 billion.

On the economics, the article is blunt: platform revenue accounted for 22.8% of total deposits, above the legal maximum retention of 15% and above the 7% rate announced by the sector. According to accounting statements reviewed by Folha de S.Paulo, including Blaze’s, companies in the sector are operating with profit margins of about 30%, with most spending going to advertising and sponsorships rather than payroll.

The monthly pattern also matters. Active bettors peaked at 10.2 million in January, when state championships were starting, and fell to 7.2 million in April, when the government launched Novo Desenrola Brasil.