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The Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR) has launched a powerful awareness campaign, “Bode na sala” (“Elephant in the Room“), to reveal the growing threat of illegal betting websites in Brazil. Even though the regulation of online games and sports betting officially began in January 2025, putting more than 180 brands under the law, there are still thousands of unauthorized operators who work beyond the law, hurting players and harming the regulated industry.
The campaign, developed by agency We, kicked off on August 31 and will run until December across a range of platforms. TV, radio, airport billboards, and social media will be utilised to spread its core message: players must choose licensed and regulated sites, and authorities must act to address the concerning spread of illegal operators.
A Market in Transition
From the start of the year, nearly 80 companies have been duly licensed to operate sports betting and online games in Brazil, reflecting the government’s determination to establish a regulated, sustainable, and transparent market. In all, the companies represent over 180 brands, which are subject to strict regulations like compliance with “Know Your Customer” (KYC) processes, protecting minors, and ongoing tax remittance.
On the other hand, illegal websites avoid all of these obligations. They do not pay any tax, apply no responsible gaming standards, and provide no player protection. These underground websites form what IBJR calls the “elephant in the room“: a hidden but prevalent issue putting both players’ safety and the integrity of Brazil’s newly regulated gaming market at risk.
Financial and Social Impacts
The difference between legal and illegal sites is stark in financial terms. Operators licensed in Brazil have contributed more than R$35 million in licensing fees alone, in addition to ongoing tax contributions. Those funds are not just crucial to government coffers but also to underpinning public policy and social causes associated with the responsible growth of the gaming industry.
Illegal websites, on the other hand, circumvent any such obligation. Without paying tax or licensing, they exist outside the national framework, creating unequal competition for licensed operators and withholding valuable resources from the state. More importantly, they expose players to risks of fraud, identity theft, no consumer protection, and no access to responsible gaming mechanisms.
Correcting Myths and Protecting Players
Another of the campaign’s central aims is to dispel long-standing myths about regulated betting. According to the IBJR, the majority of consumers are still unaware of the distinction between authorized and illegal sites. The campaign urges players to verify whether a site ends in “.bet.br“, a domain name reserved for regulated operators in Brazil.
“Se for jogar, escolha uma bet que termina em .bet.br. Pra Jogar, tem que ter regra” (“If you play, choose a bet ending in .bet.br. To play, there must be rules“), the campaign’s primary message reads, followed by its strict conclusion: “Bet clandestina não dá” (“Clandestine betting is not an option“).
The Role of IBJR in Responsible Gaming
Founded in 2023, the Instituto Brasileiro de Jogo Responsável (IBJR) represents about 75% of Brazil’s regulated market, bringing together leading operators, suppliers, and stakeholders with the mission to build an ethical, transparent, and sustainable gaming ecosystem. The institute is engaged in the dissemination of responsible gaming practices, the development of prevention programs against gambling addiction, and the direction of consumers to aware betting behavior.
Its membership comprises some of Brazil’s and the world’s largest betting operators, such as Bet365, Betano, Sportingbet, Betsson Group, Betfair, Pinnacle, EstrelaBet, and many others. Together with its affiliated partners, companies that are specialists in technology, payments, compliance, and advertising, the IBJR encourages industry-wide cooperation to provide safe and responsible growth.
A Call for Action
The “Bode na sala” campaign is as much a public alert as it is a call to collective action for industry players, regulators, and authorities. By exposing the reality of illegal operators, the IBJR seeks to compel greater enforcement and awareness while empowering consumers to make safer choices.
Amid a rapidly evolving gaming sector, one point the campaign is clear about is the fact that regulation without enforcement cannot protect players. By adopting licensed websites and rejecting illegal alternatives, gamers and the authorities can collectively guarantee an equitable, transparent, and accountable future for gaming in Brazil.
Source: GMB
