The head of the Federal Revenue’s Tax and Customs Studies Center, Claudemir Malaquias, revealed this Thursday (24) that revenue from the gaming and betting sector reached R$3.797 billion between January and June 2025.
In June, according to Malaquias, the collection was R$764 million, a value well above the R$6 million recorded in the same period in 2024. Despite this, there was a drop in relation to the previous month, when the total collected reached R$814 million.
“The difference is explained by the fact that, in June of last year, the activity was not yet regulated in the country,” stated the head of the IRS.
The tax on sportsbooks based on a 12% rate applied directly to gross gaming revenue, known in the industry as GGR (Gross Gaming Revenue). This percentage, however, has recently changed.
A provisional measure (MP) published in June provides for an increase in the tax rate to 18%. The change aims to offset part of the drop in revenue from the Financial Transactions Tax (IOF).
Although the provisional measure takes effect immediately, its final implementation still depends on the National Congress. The text must be approved by October to become law. This week, the provisional measure was extended until October 8th, as it would have expired on August 9th.
However, the possibility of increased taxation has drawn criticism from betting companies and associations, who claim that this could make legal operations in the country unfeasible.
Regulation of the betting sector in Brazil
Sports betting regulations came into effect in Brazil on January 1st. The government has raised over R$2 billion to date from fees alone.
During this transition, authorities took down thousands of illegal websites. Furthermore, new communication campaigns emphasized the importance of “responsible gaming” more strongly.
This year, the Federal Senate approved Bill No. 2,985/2023, which imposes new rules for online betting advertising. Under this law, companies are prohibited from using artists, athletes, digital influencers, members of technical committees, communicators, authorities, or any other individual in their advertising, even in supporting roles. However, the measure was harshly criticized by the betting industry.
