Online sports betting in Brazil: regulation, socioeconomic impacts, and the protection of vulnerable consumers

Abstract

Online sports betting has established itself as one of the fastest-growing economic and social phenomena in Brazil in recent years, especially after the legalization of fixed-odds betting by Law No. 13.756/2018 and the effective regulation promoted by Law No. 14.790/2023. This study analyzes the regulatory framework for online betting in Brazil, the social impacts resulting from the expansion of digital platforms, and the legal challenges related to the protection of vulnerable consumers. The research is characterized as applied, exploratory, and descriptive, using a mixed-methods approach (qualitative and quantitative), with analysis of legislation, judicial decisions, regulatory norms, and official statistical data. The results demonstrate that regulation represented an important advance for the organization of the sector; however, challenges related to oversight, abusive advertising, protection of highly vulnerable consumers, prevention of gambling addiction, and combating illegal operators persist. The jurisprudential analysis identified a trend towards applying the strict liability foreseen in the Consumer Protection Code to platforms that fail to implement effective responsible gambling mechanisms. A high incidence of debt among bettors, market concentration in economically vulnerable groups, and an increase in cases related to gambling disorder were also observed. It is concluded that the effectiveness of the Brazilian regulatory model depends on the adoption of integrated public policies, continuous oversight, and the strengthening of consumer protection mechanisms.