Following your integration into the regulated Brazilian market, how do you reflect  on the key challenges and successes of the process?  

The transition to a regulated market represented a defining moment for Brazil’s sports betting ecosystem. Moving away from a grey area brought clearer rules, higher scrutiny and explicit obligations for operators and suppliers alike. One of the main challenges was  adapting quickly to a framework that demands strong governance, auditability and demonstrable compliance, while the market itself continued to grow at a very fast pace. At the same time, regulation created a more transparent and predictable environment. This has enabled stronger collaboration between operators, technology providers and authorities, and increased demand for official data, integrity solutions and scalable, reliable technology.

However, there are still significant challenges as things remain fluid in this ever-evolving landscape, both from a regulatory and commercial perspectives. Against this backdrop, Sportradar’s experience in markets going through the process of regulating, as well as across long-established regulated markets proved particularly valuable during Brazil’s first year of regulation. This expertise enabled the company to support clients as they navigated new compliance obligations, strengthened governance and adapted to heightened regulatory scrutiny, while continuing to operate and scale in a fast-growing market.  

In what way do sports data suppliers need to remain alert to regulatory changes and cultural trends in Brazil?  

In Brazil, regulatory evolution and cultural dynamics move in parallel. From a regulatory  standpoint, suppliers must remain closely aligned with licensing requirements, compliance standards and integrity expectations, ensuring that solutions are transparent, auditable and consistent with global best practices.  

Culturally, Brazil is a highly digital, sports-driven market with users who are extremely engaged and experience-oriented. This means technology providers must continuously adapt products to local consumption habits, communication styles and betting behavior. Combining regulatory awareness with a deep understanding of the local sports culture is essential to delivering solutions that are both compliant and relevant.  

Overall, one could say 2025 was a year of adaption, and in many respects 2026 will be similar as the industry continues to evolve in our view. 

Within such a sports-obsessed culture, what is most exciting about the potential of  sports betting data innovation in Brazil?  

Brazil’s passion for sport, particularly football, creates an exceptional environment. We observe that over 80% of turnover is related to football, which is illustrative of our culture and habits. However, this also poses a significant opportunity for other sports to innovate and engage with fans in new immersive ways. High engagement levels  amplify the impact of advancements on data, live content and low-latency solutions.  

Innovation in areas such as real-time data, in-play markets, AI-driven odds and  personalized content has the potential to significantly enhance the fan and bettor experience.  

What is especially exciting is how technology can transform engagement while supporting  responsible betting and operational efficiency. As the market matures, data innovation  becomes not only a growth driver, but also a tool for sustainability and integrity across the  entire ecosystem.  

In addition, Sportradar’s presence in the Brazilian market for more than a decade provides  a deep understanding of local sports culture and fan behavior. Combined with its role as a technology partner across the industry, this long-term perspective offers a holistic, 360-degree view of the ecosystem, helping clients align innovation with the expectations of Brazilian fans and the realities of the local market.  

What impact can Brazil’s regulated market have on other LatAm jurisdictions such as Peru, Mexico and Colombia?  

Brazil has the potential to become a regional reference point. Given its scale, visibility and  economic weight, regulatory and operational standards adopted in Brazil tend to influence  discussions in neighboring markets, given Brazil is already the fifth-largest in the world after only one year of regulation.  

Overall, the integration process has marked a significant step toward maturity and long-term sustainability for the Brazilian market. 

This creates opportunities for greater harmonization of standards, cross-border collaboration and the adoption of more sophisticated technological solutions throughout the region.  

During the market’s first year of regulation, partnerships have also played a critical role. A recent technical cooperation agreement between the Brazilian Ministry of Sports and Sportradar, focused on information sharing and joint efforts to combat match-fixing, illustrates how collaboration between public authorities and industry stakeholders can strengthen integrity frameworks. Such initiatives can serve as a reference for other jurisdictions, highlighting the importance of partnerships in protecting sport and supporting  the sustainable development of industry. 

Scale aside, what do overseas gambling operators find in Brazil that they won’t find anywhere else?  

Beyond scale, Brazil offers a unique combination of factors: an intensely engaged sports  audience, a digital-first population and a deep emotional connection with sport. User behavior is highly interactive, with strong demand for fast, immersive and content-rich experiences. Betting in different forms has been ingrained in our culture since forever.  

This is reflected in a population of 213 million people, with four out of five Brazilians showing interest in football according to a recent Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) survey.  

In addition, Brazil’s competitive landscape pushes operators to innovate continuously, not only in products but also in marketing, responsible gaming and customer experience. This combination of passion, connectivity and competitive pressure is difficult to replicate elsewhere.  

Finally, if you were to make one prediction about Brazil’s market for 2026, what would it be?  

The first year of regulation has largely been a period of adaptation, as operators, suppliers and authorities aligned with new requirements, processes and expectations. By 2026, the market is hopefully likely to enter a phase of greater stabilization, creating the foundations for a more predictable and sustainable environment, though some continuous adaptation is also very much to be expected (it will be an election year, after all).  

In that context, Brazil should be firmly established as one of the world’s most relevant  regulated betting markets, not only in terms of size but also in sophistication. Deeper  integration of technology, increased  use of artificial intelligence, and more advanced  integrity and risk-management practices are expected to become standard.  

Growth is also likely to be accompanied by higher standards of transparency, responsibility and operational maturity; positioning Brazil as a global benchmark for how newly regulated  markets can evolve in a structured and sustainable way.