How Legalizing Sports Betting Will Actually Help Brazil’s Economy

by , 12 December 2022

Brazilians are one of the most passionate sports fanatics you’ll find anywhere in the world. Yet despite sports being at the forefront of their culture, the lack of regulation in the country costs the Brazilian economy an estimated R$ 1 billion per year. In this article, we explore the current regulations and what sports are popular with gamblers.

Sports Betting Brazil

Brazil, the largest country in South America and the world’s fifth-largest country, is home to over 200 million people. It is famous for its iconic festivals, Capoeira (a mixture of music and martial arts), Bossa Nova, the Christ the Redeemer statue, fantastic beaches, Picanha (a Brazilian type of beef cut), Coffee, the Amazon rainforest, vibrant nightlife and of course, soccer.

However, unlike other soccer-mad countries like Germany, England, and Spain, gambling in Brazil is not fully regulated, meaning many Brazilians go online to place bets. To find out more, you can visit our dedicated page, where you can read more about the best sports betting sites in Brazil.

Is Gambling Legal in Brazil?

Despite gambling being prevalent in Brazil, the country is the only non-Muslim nation of the 20 strongest economies on the planet that lacks a legalized and regulated gambling market.

Some forms of gambling, such as Jogo do bicho, a lottery-style game, is played by millions of people in Brazil each year, despite being illegal in 25 of the 26 states of Brazil. The game is legal only in Paraíba, located in the Brazilian Northeast, but even there, it is technically breaking federal laws to play.

Reform of current laws has been discussed for many years, and online operators are keen to expand into Brazil should lawmakers introduce a fully legal and regulated market.

Although the majority of gambling activities are illegal, it is not forbidden for residents to bet online. Unfortunately, this lack of regulation means the top sports betting sites in Brazil receive a lot of visitors from the country, meaning the Brazilian government loses out on an estimated R$ 1 billion per year.

What Sports Do Brazilians Bet On?

Despite not being regulated, sports betting in Brazil is hugely popular, and many turn to offshore operators to place their bets. These sports betting sites Brazil residents use are legal, and in this section, we take a closer look at the top sport that Brazilian bettors favour.

Sports Betting in Brazil – Soccer

Mention sport and Brazil, and the chances are that you immediately think of football. Therefore it’s not surprising that football is the most popular vertical at the best sports betting sites Brazil people use. According to a Globo portal survey, 81% of online betting in Brazil is football focussed.

Club soccer in Brazil – quite uniquely, the domestic football format in Brazil consists of two pyramids operating independently. The national competitions are the responsibility of the Brazilian Football Confederation which was founded in 1914. The football federations of each state organize the state championships.

The states are as follows;

  • Acre (AC)
  • Alagoas (AL)
  • Amapá (AP)
  • Amazonas (AM)
  • Bahia (BA)
  • Ceará (CE)
  • Distrito Federal (DF)
  • Espírito Santo (ES)
  • Goiás (GO)
  • Maranhão (MA)
  • Mato Grosso (MT)
  • Mato Grosso do Sul (MS)
  • Minas Gerais (MG)
  • Pará (PA)
  • Paraíba (PB)
  • Paraná (PR)
  • Pernambuco (PE)
  • Piauí (PI)
  • Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
  • Rio Grande do Norte (RN)
  • Rio Grande do Sul (RS)
  • Rondônia (RO)
  • Roraima (RR)
  • Santa Catarina (SC)
  • São Paulo (SP)
  • Sergipe (SE)
  • Tocantins (TO)

The dates that the state pyramid competitions take place vary from state to state, and most have a secondary competition which includes teams that are not part of the top two divisions. With so many games taking place, legal online betting sites in Brazil offer plenty of fixtures to place bets on.

Alongside the state competition, the National pyramid also runs with games taking place between May and December and just like the state games, these fixtures are popular at online betting sites in Brazil.

The national pyramid is divided into four leagues; Série A, Série B, Série C and Série D. In a similar way to how the English football pyramid is arranged, there are 20 teams in the top division. Série A, which matches the English Premier League. This number of clubs is also the same for Série B and Série C. However, unlike England, which has 48 non-league competitions, in Brazil, all teams outside Série A, Série B, and Série C are placed in Série D.

In 2015 40 teams were competing in Série D, which increased in 2016 to a massive 68. With so much choice, it’s no surprise that the National League is so popular at legal sports betting sites in Brazil.

There have been calls to scrap the dual State and National pyramids and have one unified league. However, as you can see from the Tweet below, there is opposition to this idea, as the current setup means plenty of games occur between rivals.

Some of the rivalries between teams attract large crowds. Clube Atlético Mineiro has the highest average attendance, averaging 42,300 spectators per game. Many of their fans place bets when online betting in Brazil, hoping their team win. Corinthians are also well-supported, with over thirty thousand supporters attending each home game (32,791).

Here is a short overview of some of the rivalries in Brazilian league football;

Flamengo v Fluminense

Known locally as the Fla-Flu, matches between these two clubs are colorful affairs and less hostile than other games between rivals, with both sets of fans using the game to celebrate the culture of Rio de Janeiro. The rivalry between the two started before soccer became popular in the country, as both clubs were originally rowing clubs. When Fluminense began to field a soccer team, Flamengo followed suit and signed nine top players from them, causing resentment between the two.

Palmeiras v Corinthians

While the Flamengo v Fluminense game is often a mild-mannered affair, the same cannot be said when Palmeiras meet their São Paulo rivals Corinthians. Brazil’s biggest city has three teams; Corinthians, São Paulo F.C. and Palmeiras and there is no love lost between fans and players of the different clubs. Not surprisingly, the top online betting sites in Brazil take plenty of bets from fans backing their team. Factory workers founded both teams after the now-defunct English team Corinthian F.C. toured the country in 1910. The English club later merged with another amateur team to form Corinthian-Casuals F.C. They returned to the country in 2015, and this time the Brazilian team Corinthian was victorious, winning 3-0.

Atlético Mineiro vs Cruzeiro

One of the most famous rivalries in Brazilian soccer is between Atlético Mineiro and Cruzeiro. Both clubs are located in Belo Horizonte in the southeast of the country. Atlético Mineiro plays in black and white, whereas their city rivals play in all blue. Both teams have enjoyed success and are backed well at the best online betting sites in Brazil. Atlético won the Copa Libertadores in 2013 and the Brazillian Cup in 2014. Not to be outdone, Cruzeiro were the champions of Brazil in 2013 and 2014.

There have been many violent clashes between fans in recent years, and the games between the pair are often ill-tempered affairs.

Other notable local rivalries include Grêmio vs Internacional and Bahia vs Vitória.

Just a reminder, you can find out everything you need to know about betting on soccer and other sports at our dedicated page on the best betting sites in Brazil. In addition, you’ll find a list of reputable betting companies with great deals for new customers.

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