Sportsbooks Betting websites licensed solely by state lotteries accounted for less than 1% of access to the online betting sector in Brazil during the third quarter of 2025. Despite this small share, these operations generated an estimated revenue of R$ 15.4 million, according to an exclusive survey by Aposta Legal.
The data exposes a sensitive point in Brazilian regulation: the absence of efficient geolocation mechanisms that restrict betting to the territory of origin of the license. In legal terms, a state authorization does not grant the right to operate nationally. Therefore, it only allows betting by users located within the issuing state.
How does the territorial limitation of state betting work?
In theory, platforms licensed by states should only operate within those regions. However, practice reveals a very different scenario. According to monitoring carried out by Aposta Legal between July and September, 87% of state-licensed websites remain accessible to bettors from other states.
A survey by the G1 news portal also identified six platforms licensed exclusively by states that accept bets outside of their permitted territory.
Examples include Bet Fácil and MajorSports, two betting sites licensed by the State of Rio de Janeiro. Together, they registered approximately 15 million visits in the last quarter. This number equates to three visits per adult resident of the state capital, indicating local popularity but also a possible presence of bettors from outside the state—something considered illegal under current regulations.
The Aposta Legal Institute estimates that state-run betting companies failed to generate up to R$ 2 million in federal taxes during the period. The calculation uses the relationship between traffic and revenue observed in the legal betting market, according to data released by the Ministry of Treasury this year.
State bets and the legal impasse
The legal landscape remains undefined. In September, the Supreme Federal Court (STF) ruled on Direct Action of Unconstitutionality (ADI) 7,640, filed by the governors of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Acre, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, and the Federal District.
The Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) has authorized economic groups to operate state lotteries in several states and to advertise their activities throughout the country.
The decision reaffirms the understanding of ADI 4.986, which removed the Union’s monopoly over lottery services and prohibited differentiated treatment between states in federal legislation.
On the other hand, Law No. 14,790/2023, which regulated fixed-odds betting, stipulates in Article 35-A that states and the Federal District may only operate lotteries within their own territories.
The text upholds the principle of territoriality, but does not establish digital control mechanisms capable of guaranteeing compliance with this restriction.
About Aposta Legal
Founded in 2019, Aposta Legal is a platform dedicated to offering reliable and unbiased information about sports betting and online casinos. Its goal is to promote responsible and recreational gambling, providing quality content for bettors in Brazil and other countries.