The federal government has acknowledged that it does not have accurate data on how much the online betting sector earns in the country. This admission was made through the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA), linked to the Ministry of Treasury, in response to a formal inquiry from Congressman Saulo Pedroso (PSD-SP), who requested detailed information on online betting through an official request.
Fabio Macorin, Undersecretary of Monitoring and Inspection, confirmed the lack of concrete data on revenue. According to him, the Betting Management System (SIGAP) has been undergoing technical adjustments since May, which prevents the accurate collection of this information.
Challenges of recent regulation
It is worth noting that the regulation of fixed-odds betting only began in January of this year, a period in which the sector began to operate under effective government control.
To organize this volume of data, the Federal Data Processing Service (SERPRO) currently assists in structuring the information collected, in a partnership that aims to establish reliable data on the market, as determined by Ordinance SPA/MF 722/2024.
However, technological infrastructure represents the biggest obstacle for the government at this time. Every day, approximately 50 million records arrive from authorized operators, requiring processing capacity that is still being developed.
Proposal to increase taxation on online betting
Given this scenario, Fernando Haddad proposed on Sunday (8) an increase in the sector’s taxation to compensate for the withdrawal of the increase in the IOF. According to the proposal, the rate on online betting would rise from 12% to 18% of companies’ gross revenue.
During a meeting with parliamentary leaders, the minister promised to present concrete data on the market as early as this Monday.
“We will present the first data collected. The original proposal was to increase it to 18%. This MP will allow us to recalibrate the IOF decree, to reduce the rates of the original decree”, said Haddad at the end of the meeting.
However, the ministerial promise comes up against a significant administrative contradiction: the SPA itself officially acknowledged that it does not have figures on revenue in 2025, as stated in the letter sent to deputy Saulo Pedroso.
Intensification of supervision
While seeking to organize data from the regulated sector, inspections against clandestine operators have been considerably intensified. Between October 2024 and May 2025, more than 13,000 irregular websites were blocked by the Secretariat.
Furthermore, digital influencers have also come under the authorities’ radar. SPA instituted 48 lawsuits for illegal advertising, which resulted in the removal of 39 Instagram profiles and 76 posts deemed inappropriate.
The national financial system has also been the target of inspection actions. Twenty-two banking and payment institutions received notifications for facilitating transactions with unauthorized platforms between October 2024 and February 2025.
Online Betting Monitoring Procedures
All this monitoring work follows the guidelines established by SPA/MF Ordinance No. 1,225/2024, which defines specific inspection procedures.
The actions are divided between behavioral analysis and prudential supervision of operators, and may include virtual and in-person inspections without prior notice, in addition to the authority to request documents and access companies’ computerized systems.
It is important to clarify that, according to an official SPA document, illegality in the sector does not arise from regulatory gaps, but rather from clandestine operators who carry out criminal activities regardless of the existence of regulations.
These illegal platforms often facilitate financial crimes, with money laundering being a major concern for authorities.
For this reason, the confrontation takes place simultaneously on two different fronts: administratively, through the application of fines and blockades; and criminally, through police investigations that determine the criminal responsibilities of those involved.
