Brazil betting ban drives spam surge from illegal sites, users report

Illegal betting platforms have increased mass messaging to users since Brazil's betting prohibition took effect on 25 September, according to a report relayed by BNLData. The Finance Ministry said it had requested blocks on 13,241 illegal sites since the restriction came into force, while clandestine operators stepped up promotion in messaging-app groups and on social media.

The Finance Ministry said that of 188 sites authorised as of Monday 5 October, only one was still online and blocks had been requested for the rest. It also said it was working with the Justice Ministry on enforcement, with requests to remove 3,552 pages, profiles, channels, groups and servers on social media platforms, with an estimated reach of about 17.2 million users, which may include the same person in more than one space.

Psychologist Rafael Ávila, founder of the Association for the Protection and Support of the Player and a consultant to the Health Ministry on policies for this group, reported relapses among patients in the two weeks before the report, mostly to Chinese platforms specialising in slot machines. He said the movement began before the official prohibition date, driven by intensified public debate on the subject.

Ávila said illegal platforms had begun sending mass communications as the prohibition advanced, describing the volume as stronger than before. He quoted patients as saying some had relapsed because of the prohibition and others because they had already self-excluded from the government and no longer had access to regulated platforms but knew the Chinese ones.

Gabriel Pedroso, a 32-year-old graphic designer who has had problems with gambling addiction, described increased solicitation after the prohibition, saying betting sites appear as soon as he accesses a social network. He said he has not gambled for months and does not click, but knows many people are losing money on clandestine platforms.

Eduardo Sousa, 21, reported an episode in a support group for people with gambling disorder in which a user publicised an illegal platform, claiming it was glitched and made winnings easier. Sousa responded publicly, the content was removed and the user was banned from the group.

Technology company Besafe developed an application that blocks access to betting sites, both Brazilian and foreign. In the previous week the app registered 840 new users per day, up 68% from the earlier average of 500 daily registrations. Claudio Henrique, one of the company's founders, said the volume of monitored platforms rose from 200,000 to 500,000 in the last 30 days and warned of a structural gap: the government takes down one site, but operators create a thousand other subunits and put them all into operation.

The Health Ministry began a campaign this week on the risks of online betting and plans active outreach to vulnerable people based on data from the Observatório Saúde Brasil de Apostas Eletrônicas, created by the government in December. The ministry also said it is training 40,000 SUS professionals on gambling disorder and offering remote care through the Meu SUS Digital app, in initial cycles of 10 sessions by video call.

By 25 September, more than 1.3 million Brazilians had requested self-exclusion from betting platforms, and 51% of them declared a direct relationship with health problems. Marcelo Ribeiro, a researcher at the Programme for Guidance and Assistance to Dependents in the Department of Psychiatry at the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), said the restriction could have an effect, citing evidence that a significant reduction in supply can reduce gambling behaviour, including among people at higher risk.

The Brazilian Responsible Gambling Institute, which represented previously authorised betting operators, called for expanded enforcement. Its president, Carlos Lima, argued that the clandestine market emerged stronger, saying that while licensed companies were required to stop their activities, clandestine operators continue advertising, receiving payments and soliciting Brazilians, and that the risk is leaving consumers more exposed to those who never followed the rules.