Gambling accounts for 0,46% of household consumption and does not cause debt in Brazil.
LCA Consultoria Econômica released this Tuesday (14), in Brasília, an unprecedented study on indebtedness and default of Brazilian families that challenges the narrative that sports betting is responsible for the indebtedness of the Brazilian population, as President Lula and the PT caucus have been arguing. The survey points out that spending on betting corresponds to only 0,46% of family consumption, a percentage significantly lower than the commitment of income to other expenses. The default rate of individuals in the National Financial System reached 5,2% in February 2026.
The default rate has been on an upward trajectory since 2021. The current level is approaching that recorded in May 2012, when it reached 5,5%. The growth in household debt is generating concern in society and the government, which has attributed a significant part of the problem to debt.
Household debt linked to high-value investments, such as real estate purchases and education, can have positive aspects. Emergency or short-term credit, such as credit cards and overdrafts, disproportionately strains family income. In a context of soaring interest rates, this type of debt results in increased default rates.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Brazilian families have been using highly accessible but extremely expensive lines of credit intensively and without proper planning. The increasing availability of these financial instruments, facilitated by new digital technologies and the growing banking penetration of the population, has not been accompanied by adequate levels of financial literacy among consumers. The LCA study indicates that this phenomenon has a much more significant impact on indebtedness than spending on sports betting.
Average monthly spending on betting reaches R$ 122,00.
The Ministry of Finance's Prize and Betting Secretariat recorded that the average net monthly expenditure of Brazilian bettors reached R$ 122 in 2025. Considering the average real income from work recorded in February 2026, this value corresponds to 3,3% of bettors' income. This percentage contrasts with the 30% of income that indebted families commit monthly to debt servicing, showing that the weight of interest in the family budget is almost ten times greater than that of betting.
Gambling expenses account for 0,46% of household spending. The IBGE's Family Budget Survey indicates that gambling is included in the leisure spending category. In 2018, the entire leisure category represented 8,5% of family income, meaning that gambling represents only a fraction of total entertainment spending.
The monetary impact of fixed-odds betting on the family budget is equivalent to that of the alcoholic beverage sector. Spending on betting represents a small fraction of interest expenses. LCA's analysis shows that while betting accounts for 0,46% of consumption, financial burdens related to debt consume a substantially larger portion of Brazilian families' budgets.
The population of people in debt is three times greater than the number of gamblers.
The Brazilian population totaled 213,4 million inhabitants in 2025. Serasa registered 81,2 million defaulters in the country. The total number of unique CPF holders who placed bets reached 25,2 million.
Those in debt represent 38,1% of the total population. Gamblers account for 11,8% of Brazilians. In the betting market, there is a male predominance, with only 31,7% female participation.
Over 74% of bettors are under 40 years old. Over 54% of those in default are over 40. The profile of bettors differs significantly from the profile of those in default, suggesting that the groups most affected by default do not coincide with the sports betting audience.
The study points out that the expansion of short-term credit, driven by new financial technologies that are advancing faster than the level of financial literacy and education of the population, coupled with rising interest rates, are more direct factors contributing to the increase in default rates. Demographic data reinforce the distinction between gamblers and defaulters. The research concludes that blaming sports betting for the indebtedness of Brazilian families is not supported by available economic and demographic data, indicating that the problem has deeper roots related to easy access to expensive credit and the lack of financial education among the population.
Check out the full study 'Default and Household Debt'
