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During the livestream, the president stated that he had spoken with a woman who said her 26-year-old son had taken his own life because of online betting. He also mentioned hearing from a bettor who had racked up BRL2 million ($388,410) in debt in just three months of wagering.
Lula said he intends to discuss the matter with his team and analyse potential measures to consider the social impact of online betting.
What the president does not acknowledge is that the government relies on revenue from the sector. In just the first seven months of 2026, BRL8.747 billion generated by sports betting has already flowed into public coffers. The Federal Revenue Service estimates the total could reach BRL16 billion by the end of the year. In 2025, nearly BRL9 billion was collected from sportsbooks.
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When excluding those who only played lottery draws, participation stood at 28%, implying lottery-only players comprised roughly 21% of the adult population.
Online gambling participation over four weeks reached 39% (16% excluding lottery-only players), while in-person gambling participation was 29% (18% excluding lottery-only players).
Top non-lottery activities during the period included scratchcards (13%), betting (10%) and online instant win games (8%).
How to play Ali Baba
A Detroit business owner will soon face city scrutiny after permitting crypto-based prediction market platform Polymarket to paint an advertisement on a water tower located on his industrial property.
The Detroit Free Press reported on Wednesday (Sept. 16) that a water tower located northeast of the downtown city was recently painted and branded with Polymarket’s likeness. The water tower is located just off Interstate 94 at Mount Elliott Street, Exit 217.
The water tower is specifically located at the business of Mount Elliott Crushing, a recycler of concrete products. While the water tower is on private land, the City of Detroit requires that permits be secured for advertisements on such structures.
