Datafolha Survey Shows Stable Gambling Participation in Brazil as Financial Strain Eases Post-Regulation
2026-07-16
A May 2026 Datafolha survey found that 7% of Brazilian voters continue to gamble or play online casinos, unchanged since November 2024, while financial strain among gamblers declined notably after regulation took effect in January 2025, with 35% reporting compromised finances (down from 44%). Public perception remains largely negative, with 57% viewing betting as an addiction.
Seven percent of Brazilian voters aged 18 or older currently engage in gambling or online casino games, a figure that has remained unchanged since November 2024, according to a Datafolha survey published by Folha de S.Paulo. The poll, conducted on May 20 and 21, 2026, sampled 2,004 voters across 139 cities with a margin of error of 2.0 percentage points. The findings reflect the period after the regulation of sports betting and online gaming took effect in January 2025.
Participation and Financial Health
Among gamblers, the proportion who said they had compromised their personal finances dropped to 35%, down 9 percentage points from the 44% recorded in November 2024. Most indicators of financial strain showed declines: 19% had used savings (down from 22%), 11% forwent a purchase to gamble (down from 19%), and 10% used credit cards for betting (down from 15%). Borrowing money fell to 8% from 15%, while 6% stopped paying some bills, compared with 13% in 2024. Delinquency held steady at 5%, and selling assets to fund gambling dropped to 2% from 5%. Datafolha noted a margin of error of 6.0 percentage points for this subgroup.
Sports Betting and Online Casino Trends
Sports betting participation stands at 6% of voters, unchanged from November 2024 but below the 8% reported in December 2023. Men are more active, with 9% betting compared to 2% of women, and participation is highest among 18- to 24-year-olds at 11%. Of those who bet on sports, 36% do so weekly, 21% daily, 19% monthly, 13% every 15 days, and 11% less than once a month. Average monthly sports betting expenditure reached R$ 241, above the R$ 216 from November 2024 but below the R$ 268 from December 2023.
Online casino participation, including games such as "tigrinho," is at 4% of voters, unchanged from November 2024, with a narrow gender gap (4% of men vs. 3% of women). Average monthly spending on online casinos fell to R$ 232, down from R$ 354 in 2024.
Public Perception and Demographics
Public attitudes remain largely negative, with 57% of voters describing online betting and gambling as an addiction, up from 54% in 2024. About one-third view it as a waste of money, a share similar to the previous survey, while 6% consider it entertainment and 2% an investment or income source. The perception of addiction is more common among women (61% vs. 54% of men), 18- to 24-year-olds (64%), and those with higher education (60%). Among respondents with lower education, 53% see it as addiction and 36% as a waste of money.