Pesquisa revela que brasileiros querem regulação das apostas esportivas
Sites de apostas esportivas precisam ganhar a confiança do público. (Imagem: Febraban / Divulgação)

Most Brazilians want to see sports betting websites, known as bets, regulated by the government. A survey carried out by Febraban (Brazilian Federation of Banks) and CNF (National Confederation of Financial Institutions) shows that 59% of the population supports strong federal intervention. Another 19% prefer a more moderate approach.

Although sports betting is popular, trust in the sites is still low. Only 12% of respondents said they trust or trust these platforms a lot. The overwhelming majority (84%) admit to having little or no trust.

With the launch of the regulated market in January, Brazilians will be able to easily differentiate an authorized house from an illegal one. In this way, credibility in the sector tends to increase, while irregularities are likely to lose ground.

Sports betting sites need to gain public trust

The Ipespe survey interviewed 2,000 people from all regions of Brazil between October 15th and 23rd. With a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points, the results have a confidence interval of 95.45%.

Four in ten Brazilians say they gamble or have someone at home who bets. On the other hand, 21% said they had abandoned this practice. Among those who continue to bet, 45% reported that it had a negative impact on their personal or family quality of life.

Among bettors, 24% play every day. Another 18% bet weekly, while 21% bet two or three times a week. A portion of 12% play between four and six times a week.

According to the survey, 52% of bettors spend between R$30 and R$500 per month. For 56%, this money is needed in the family budget, and 53% fear getting into debt because of betting. This reality has affected financial priorities.

Of the total, 41% admit that the money used in sports betting compromises other expenses, such as food (37%) and bills (36%). Despite the high expense, the financial return is small. More than half (52%) reported losing more than they gained. Only 44% said they made some profit.

Regulation is an essential step

Betting sites have been allowed in Brazil since 2018, but they continue without clear rules. In 2022, the Lula government began the regulatory process, anticipating that the market will be fully legalized from January 2025. Currently, only websites that have filed a request with the Ministry of Justice can operate legally.

However, pressure for faster regulation is growing. A CPI in the Senate investigates the performance of betting in the country, while Febraban warns about the risks of betting, especially for the credit market and the family economy.

“The research opens a huge light on a problem that can be reduced”, assesses Marcelo Garcia, specialist in Social Policies. He defends the adoption of preventive measures that protect families and limit economic and social impacts.

Therefore, the federal government tries to block the use of resources from social programs, such as Bolsa Família, for the practice. With regulation on the horizon, Brazil is faced with a unique opportunity to structure a safer market, preventing betting from harming the population.