Illegal betting market: 8 clandestine platforms have a combined 1 million subscribers on Telegram.
The illegal market for sports betting and online gambling remains active on the internet, despite federal government initiatives to regulate the sector. Eight mapped clandestine platforms have a combined total of over one million subscribers across their channels on the Telegram messaging app.
The survey was conducted by Estadão Verifica. The names of the illegal betting sites were not disclosed in the report, but were forwarded to the Ministry of Finance, which is responsible for regulating the sector, along with the addresses of the platforms on the internet.
None of the identified channels use the “.bet.br” domain extension, which is mandatory for betting sites authorized by the Ministry of Finance. One of them operates with the “uk.com” domain, indicating origin in the United Kingdom, but it is in Portuguese and accessible in Brazil. All platforms offer sports betting, online casinos, and slot games.
Appeals and possible extortion
Messages posted on Telegram channels use catchy phrases to attract bettors, such as "enter the game and win your fortune," "today is your lucky day," and promises of "up to a 99% chance of winning." Advertisements also reproduce alleged proof of transfers to bettors, with amounts of R$ 14,5, R$ 13, and R$ 10, in addition to announcements of prizes such as "winning amount: R$ 820.600,00" and "single deposits of 10 reais or more will entitle you to a cash bonus of 55,55 million."
According to the president of the Brazilian Psychiatric Association (ABP), Antônio Geraldo da Silva, this type of communication has a direct psychological effect: "These appeals are mental triggers that unleash in the person the feeling that they have to gamble at that moment."
On the Reclame Aqui website, there are reports from bettors who claim to have been scammed by illegal platforms. One of them describes the following: “I deposited 70 reais to play at the betting site and won 2.800. When I tried to withdraw, the money didn't appear in my account. I contacted them and they asked me to make another deposit of R$ 100 to be able to withdraw.” The same pattern appears in two other reports; one bettor stated that “I won and they don't want to pay, they just keep telling me to deposit more and more,” while another reported that he could only receive the bonus after reaching an extremely high volume of bets.
Because they operate outside the law, these platforms are not subject to the Betting Law (14.790/2023) nor to the regulations of the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) of the Ministry of Finance and the National Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (Conar). The president of the Commission on Gaming Law, Betting and Responsible Gaming of the OAB-SP (São Paulo Bar Association), Luiz Felipe Santoro, explains that current regulations prohibit advertising that encourages the practice, presents betting as an investment or source of income, promises easy money, or creates a sense of urgency. “All the messages mentioned constitute an infraction of current regulations,” stated Santoro. “The simple message 'Enter the game,' for example, would already be prohibited, as it encourages the consumer to gamble or bet. The addition 'Conquer your fortune' is even worse, as it conveys a false idea of easy money.”
Risk to minors
Another illegal aspect identified is the lack of effective control over the participation of minors under 18 years of age. Ordinance SPA/MF No. 1.231/2024 stipulates that the bettor's registration must include their CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID), full name, and date of birth, with identity verification and facial recognition. In the mapped illegal betting sites, registration only requires a self-declaration of age through a checkbox with the phrase "I am over 18 years old," which in almost all cases is automatically checked. One of the platforms does not require any age filter at all.
Psychiatrist Antônio Geraldo da Silva points out that the use of illustrations of animals and playful characters in colorful images acts as a lure for children and adolescents. “With animals and everything very colorful and bright, the intention is certainly to reach a child audience, which is more susceptible to developing addiction because it is still developing,” he assessed. Silva also draws attention to the widespread access children have to cell phones and tablets with registered bank cards: “Today, a 3-year-old child does absurd things when you give them a screen, including making purchases. They can't read or speak properly, but they're there, playing the common games of everyday life. For those behind this, the more addiction, the better.”
Attracting gamblers with disorders
Brazilian Law No. 14.790/2023 prohibits individuals diagnosed with gambling addiction (an uncontrollable compulsion for gambling and betting) from participating in betting. Santoro explains that the law is applied in two ways: by the user themselves, through the federal government's Centralized Self-Exclusion System for Betting, and by the platforms, which must monitor risky behaviors and block users showing signs of pathological gambling. If the operators fail to comply with this obligation, the bets may be considered null and void by the Judiciary, with possible condemnation to the restitution of the amounts wagered.
According to Santoro's assessment, because they lack mechanisms for identifying players, illegal betting ends up attracting and encouraging gamblers with disorders. Psychiatrist Alaor Carlos, coordinator of the Mental Health service at the Oswaldo Cruz German Hospital, adds that gambling addicts have a compromised brain reward system. "Their brain reward system is hijacked, and they will seek satisfaction of this pleasure in any way. These bets operate in this illegal way, without filters to contain it, precisely to meet this existing demand," he stated.
Roadblocks and inspections
SPA reported that it maintains ongoing actions to combat clandestine platforms. Since October 2024, more than 56 illegal domains have been blocked in partnership with the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel). The agency also removed 979 profiles and 307 publications that promoted irregular betting, in addition to prohibiting financial and payment institutions from processing transactions destined for illegal operators, based on article 21 of Law No. 14.790/2023.
Starting Friday (August 28th), after notification from SPA, these institutions must block, within 24 hours, the funds held by irregular betting operations and prevent new transactions. The measure is supported by Decree No. 13.033/2026 and CMN Resolution No. 5.320/2026. The Anti-Faction Law (No. 15.358/2026) also expanded the instruments to combat money laundering and other illicit activities related to the irregular operation of betting.
SPA also reported that it is improving its monitoring mechanisms through specialized technological tools, including a virtual laboratory focused on the faster identification and blocking of irregular platforms. Regulation of service providers that are part of the betting operational chain is under development. Telegram, in turn, stated that it maintains routine contact with the Ministry of Finance to address content related to illegal gambling in Brazil.
