Brazil’s crackdown on fixed-odds betting has been followed by a sharp rise in unauthorised betting domains, with monitoring data showing the number of detected sites jumping by more than 160% in just three days.
Bet Legal’s monitoring panel, operated by cybersecurity company Iron Security, recorded 981 unauthorised betting domains in Brazil at the end of 28 September, compared with 377 on 25 September, when the government announced the nationwide ban.
The number of authorised domains, meanwhile, remained unchanged at 248.
Unauthorised Domains Surge After the Ban
The figures show a particularly sharp increase immediately after the government announcement.
On 26 September, the number of unauthorised domains rose by 332 in a single day, reaching 709. The count then climbed to 780 on 27 September before reaching 981 on 28 September.
Overall, the panel recorded an increase of 604 unauthorised domains between 25 and 28 September, representing a 160.2% rise.
The count remained at 981 when the panel was checked on the morning of 29 September.
However, the figures do not establish that 604 new betting websites were created following the ban.
Bet Legal counts domains when they are detected, while its daily figures represent the net change between domains added and removed. The monitoring panel also only began collecting data on unauthorised domains on 21 September, meaning there is no comparable longer-term baseline.
Government Steps Up Blocking Measures
Brazil’s new restrictions prohibit the operation, offering, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds betting, including operators based outside the country that target Brazilian consumers.
Under the new framework, the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Justice and Public Security can request the blocking of betting sites. The National Telecommunications Agency then passes blocking orders to internet service providers, while the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee handles orders involving .br domains.
The government has also begun removing suspected illegal operators.
On 27 September, the two ministries said a joint task force had taken down 506 websites suspected of offering irregular betting services.
The government’s figure and the 981 domains recorded by Bet Legal come from separate monitoring and enforcement exercises and therefore should not be treated as directly comparable.
Illegal Market Raises Industry Concerns
The sharp increase in detected unauthorised domains comes amid warnings from parts of Brazil’s gambling industry that the ban could push bettors towards unlicensed operators.
The National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) said the measure could leave more than 30 million bettors exposed to thousands of illegal websites and announced plans to challenge the ban in court.
Illegal betting was already estimated to account for a significant share of Brazil’s market before the new restrictions. A study by LCA Consultoria Econômica for the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR), published in August 2026, estimated that unlicensed activity represented between 38% and 44% of the total market.
Industry representatives have questioned whether removing regulated operators will eliminate betting demand or instead redirect some consumers towards unauthorised platforms.
What the Data Actually Shows
For now, Bet Legal’s figures provide evidence of a rapid increase in the number of unauthorised domains being detected after the government announcement.
They do not show how much betting activity has moved to those domains, whether the domains were created after the ban, or how many individual operators are behind them.
The coming weeks will therefore show whether the surge in detected domains represents a temporary response to the new restrictions or becomes part of a broader shift in Brazil’s betting market.
Source: European Gaming