Brazil's online betting sector continues to grow at a pace that has reshaped consumer habits, financial behaviour and regulatory expectations.
With billions of reais circulating annually and a significant share of this revenue flowing outside the country's productive economy, fiscal pressure surrounding the sector has intensified.
In this context, Brazil's National Industry Forum (FNI), coordinated by the Industry National Confederation (CNI), is reinforcing its push for CIDE-Bets, a selective 15% tax on online wagers that was formally proposed last month and is now being advocated as a priority measure.
The FNI argues that the expansion of betting operations in the country has brought not only economic volume but also social costs, including rising indebtedness among young adults and the diversion of household income away from essential consumption.
According to CNI president Ricardo Alban, the current imbalance in tax burdens between digital betting and productive sectors underscores the need for structural correction.
"While the industry faces a high tax burden and contributes directly to national development, the digital betting market pays less in taxes and drains resources from the real economy," he says.
Projections tied to CIDE-Bets estimate potential revenue of BR8.5bn in 2026 if the measure enters into force.
The proposal channels the revenue toward health and education programmes, aligning with broader social policy priorities.
At the same time, industry representatives continue to warn that unbalanced taxation could strengthen illegal sites if enforcement does not advance alongside fiscal reform.
The Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR) rejected the 15% proposal, arguing that combating unlicensed operators requires coordinated regulatory, payment and platform-level enforcement.
Brazil's Secretariat of Prizes and Betting has re-enforced a new self-exclusion rule where bettors could opt out of all platforms online
