EUROMAT discussed efforts to counter illegal online gambling at its annual general assembly on 13 May, with Sapar vice-president Francesco Gatti attending, according to the report. Its Helios-based study covers EU member states, the UK, Serbia and Montenegro; consolidated findings are expected in the coming months.
The planned country-level findings could inform associations and authorities assessing illegal gambling markets.
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A study commissioned by the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming estimated that illegal operators account for 38% to 44% of betting and handle R$32.9bn to R$43.3bn annually. The report also cited an industry association’s detection of 1,689 domains classified as illegal on 26 September, including 1,197 with active betting pages. A government measure bars new deposits at licensed companies and requires their sites and apps to close from 6 October, while the association’s legal consultant criticised the measure’s reach.
A study found that more than 80% of betting sites Instagram recommended were illegal in Brazil. The research examined recommendations reaching Brazilian users.
Research carried out by the Rede em Jogo project, run by CondadoLab at PUC-Rio, examined which betting operators Instagram pushes most strongly and concluded that the great majority of them lack Brazilian authorisation. The findings, reported by The Intercept Brasil, put the share of such unauthorised operators at 84%. To reach that conclusion, the team reviewed over 55,000 Instagram accounts and checked them against the SPA's official register of authorised operators.
A study by LCA Consultores, using Locomotiva Institute data commissioned by the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming, estimated that unlicensed platforms accounted for 38% to 44% of online bets in Brazil in the first half of 2026. The study put the estimate at 41% to 51% in research released in June 2025 and said enforcement efforts need to continue.
Illegal operators accounted for between 38% and 44% of online bets in Brazil in the first half of 2026, according to a study. The research, conducted by LCA Consultores using Locomotiva Institute survey data gathered in May 2026 from 2,291 gamblers, put the earlier figure at 41% to 51%. IBJR executive president Carlos Lima said federal measures are beginning to produce results.
It was reported that an annual study estimated European states lost nearly €23bn in tax revenue to illegal online gambling in 2025. It estimated the unregulated market grew 14% to €91.6bn.