The illegal betting market currently accounts for around 50% of all bets placed in Brazil. It’s an alarming figure, yet one that seems to circulate with ease in spaces where it shouldn’t. While regulated betting operators are strictly monitored and required to comply with dozens of legal obligations, illegal platforms continue to operate freely across the main avenues of the Brazilian internet.
Even more concerning, they gain visibility, traffic, and users — often with the tacit support of the world’s largest tech companies. Meanwhile, licensed operators, who paid R$30 million to operate in Brazil, who pay taxes and generate jobs, find themselves lumped into the same public scrutiny.
How can we explain that giants like Google, Meta, TikTok, and X — the very companies that sell hyper-targeted ads based on intent, behavior, and location, and review every creative before it goes live — simply can’t seem to block illegal betting operators from their platforms? They conveniently fail when it comes to protecting the most vulnerable users.
Take, for instance, Exclusivo Bet, which appears in the image accompanying this article. This platform operates outside the bounds of Brazilian law, without a .bet.br domain, and yet it roams freely on Instagram, X, shows up in Google searches, and uses content creators on TikTok to lure in new bettors. And we’re not talking about hidden banner ads.
We’re talking about a wide range of content, often using the platforms’ own viral templates — with direct links to the illegal site. The path to illegality is paved with clicks fueled by the most powerful tools of the digital age. Or does anyone here seriously believe that if betting were banned or had restricted advertising, people would simply stop betting?
Meanwhile, the regulated sector is the focus of intense debates around advertising, exposure limits, influencer usage, and other valid points — but none of these discussions touch on the core issue. There’s no use censoring those who play by the rules while pretending the problem has been solved. What we see today is a system where those who obey the law get punished, and those who ignore it thrive, aided by the convenient omission of digital platforms. The road to illegality has a green light.
We can no longer normalize the presence of illegal operators on social media, in search engines, and across digital content as if they were just another advertiser. They’re not. They are unlicensed entities that offer no guarantees to the player, that have no protection policies, that aren’t physically based in Brazil, that don’t offer support channels, and that show no commitment to responsible gambling.
Big Tech must be held accountable. They are not just conduits. They are algorithmic editors that decide what gets seen, promoted, blocked, and what goes viral. Pretending they’re neutral in this context is not just naïve — it’s dangerous. Especially when the Brazilian State is actively and urgently working to build a regulated, safe, and balanced betting environment.
The debate around advertising, exposure limits, and guidelines for influencer marketing is valid. But it will only be legitimate when it clearly distinguishes between what is legal and what is not.
We either face this issue head-on, or we’ll continue witnessing the digital hypocrisy in which the legal is treated as the villain, while the illegal waves cheerfully to the crowd.
The regulated sector must lead this change — pressuring Big Tech to take greater responsibility, investing in campaigns and technologies that promote Responsible Gaming, and working with regulators to clamp down on illegal platforms. The regulated sector already understands its responsibility. Now it’s time for Big Tech to do the same. Because those who don't fight it, consent.
Thiago Iusim
Founder | CEO Betshield Responsible Gaming
www.thebetshield.com
