The research indicates that the growth of betting platforms is a direct result of the sector’s regulation, the rise of sports appeal in a year featuring major events such as the Copa América and the Olympics, and the widespread adoption of mobile devices as the primary channel for betting.
Advertising campaigns and digital influencers have also driven new user profiles to migrate into the world of sports betting. Meanwhile, the digital casino segment processed R$ 295.8 million -US$55.3m- (40.5%), reversing the dominance observed until 2024.
Beyond the shift in entertainment verticals, the report highlights a significant change in the payment habits of digital consumers. PIX, which dominated in 2023 with 98% of total revenue, dropped to 63.29% in 2025 — a decline of over 30 percentage points in just two years.
In its place, bank transfers via Open Finance have gained momentum, reaching a 26.28% share, while the SPEI method (Mexico) emerged with 8.61%, signaling Pagsmile’s regional expansion across Latin America. Digital wallets and PSE (Colombia) are also beginning to gain traction, reinforcing the trend toward regionalization and diversification of payment methods.
“The Latin American digital consumer is more demanding and connected. They seek local, reliable, and seamlessly integrated payment methods that fit into their financial routine. This redefines market entry strategies and competitiveness for international platforms,” noted Marlon Tseng, CEO of Pagsmile.
The report also observes that the growth of bank transfers may be linked to operational limits of PIX and new compliance requirements imposed by betting market regulators. This shift reflects a demand for more traceable and controlled payment options, especially in sectors with high financial transaction volumes.
At the same time, verticals such as e-commerce, streaming, and gaming are beginning to benefit from this diversification of payments. In e-commerce, integration via Open Finance and digital wallets is expected to boost cross-border purchases by the end of the year, while streaming platforms are set to benefit from instant payments and hybrid subscription and pay-per-view models.
Overall, Pagsmile’s findings show that 2025 marks the year of payment fragmentation and regional expansion of digital entertainment — with Brazil taking a leading role in the Latin American ecosystem.
Source: GMB
