Experiences from 11 countries point to the advancement of the illegal market after the ban on betting, says survey

A survey by the Politicians' Ranking shows that the experiences of 11 countries that restricted betting were not enough to put an end to the activity and led bettors to foreign and clandestine platforms.

The entity analyzed cases from countries such as China, the United States, India, Switzerland and Norway. Some banned the betting market completely, others restricted advertising, for example.

The survey shows that, in all cases, there was a loss of revenue, an increase in the illegal market, movement abroad and capital leaving the country.

On the eve of the election, the Lula government issued a Provisional Measure that banned betting in the country and ordered the closure of operations within 30 days. The measure provoked a flurry of lawsuits.

The minister of the STF (Supreme Federal Court) Luiz Fux scheduled a public hearing for next Tuesday (3) to discuss the impacts of the measure.

According to the study by the Ranking of Politicians, in China, around US$307 billion left the country illegally in a single year for betting abroad. In Indonesia, despite the drop in online betting activity, 12 million people made deposits on illegal platforms last year.

In India, after the ban on online cash games, in 2025, approximately one in three users switched to foreign platforms.

"Among the findings, it is noted that the ban reduces legal supply, but does not eliminate demand, which migrates to foreign and clandestine websites," said Luan Sperandio, director of operations at Ranking dos Políticos.