Central Bank data finds betting is not driving indebtedness in Brazil
At the opening of Febraban Tech 2026 on Monday, data presented by the president of Brazil’s Central Bank Gabriel Galípolo contradicted the narrative that bets are responsible for the indebtedness of Brazilian families.
He pointed to greater access to credit, through cards and payroll loans, as the main cause of the problem. At no point did Galípolo point to bets as responsible for people’s debts.
Today in Brazil, there are 96 million credit card users, according to the Central Bank. Of these, 52.8 million have debts in revolving credit or installment plans with interest, with rates reaching more than 15% per month. The average commitment of income to credit card spending has increased from 38.5% to 54%.
The president of the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL), Plínio Lemos Jorge, emphasised that betting sites do not accept this payment method. Therefore, it is not possible to link gambling to debt.
“The sector operates with Pix as a payment method, without the use of credit cards,” he stated. “And this is precisely one of the regulatory measures to prevent indebtedness. Once again, it is proven that betting sites are nowhere near the root causes of families’ financial difficulties.”
Data from the Ministry of Finance shows that of the total number of people registered on gaming platforms during the launch period of the Desenrola programme, less than 3% had debt-related restrictions and joined the programme. This does not mean that the other 97% have no debt, but they were not in the specific restriction database.
Regulated market and tax collection
Lemos Jorge also highlighted that regulation has had an economic impact. By 2025, the regulated market had reached a significant volume of activity and began generating jobs, revenue and investments around a chain that was previously not subject to this set of rules.
Tax revenue in the same year reached BRL9 billion, according to the Federal Revenue Service. Regarding the 12% tax on GGR, BRL4.5 billion was allocated to areas such as public safety, education, sports, tourism and health.
The numbers show what President Galípolo’s diagnosis summarised. The problem of indebtedness is associated with consumption and high-interest credit lines, not with bets.