Brazil’s sports betting market took the field in 2025 with clear rules, a solid structure and good faith. Regulations were defined, licenses paid, local operations set up, teams hired, responsible gambling policies implemented and taxes began to be collected. But just a few months later, the pitch shrank, the goalposts moved and some are already trying to turn off the stadium lights.
Changing the rules mid-game isn’t the natural evolution one expects from regulation. It’s not the kind that matures over time through learning and dialogue. It’s a change of course. For those who joined the game to operate within the law, the frustration is inevitable. And for those watching from the sidelines, it reinforces the image of a Brazil still lacking legal certainty and regulatory stability. That’s poison for any emerging industry.
Regulating the betting market is not a favor to operators. Quite the opposite. It’s a way to protect players from the illegal market and safeguard the broader economy. It’s a pact to formalize an existing market, create jobs, attract investment and ensure security. But to work, it needs something that should be simple. Clear rules and a commitment to stick to what was agreed.
Now the industry sees the agreement unraveling through unilateral decisions, made without debate or known impact analysis. And every change that punishes those playing by the rules ends up handing an easy goal to illegal operators. They never intended to follow any rules. And the ones who didn’t pay for a ticket are the ones cheering the loudest.
This isn’t the game Brazil promised. It’s a historic opportunity slipping away.
Law 14,790 is modern, technical and balanced. Brazil has the talent, technology, data intelligence and companies committed to responsible gambling. Can it improve? Of course it can. But without predictability, no plan holds. No investment survives. No trust lasts. What the industry wants is respect for what was agreed, with dialogue, stability and real action against the illegal market.
The teams are on the field. Those playing fair need a neutral referee, a level pitch and the lights on. And those without a ticket should stay out of the stadium.
Thiago Iusim
Founder | CEO @Betshield Responsible Gaming - www.thebetshield.com
