(Brazilian) Girls (and boys) just wanna have fun.
Some nations are just more fun-loving than others. There’s no need to name and shame the ones where such things as work, manners, social acceptance and financial stability are often given priority over people enjoying yourselves; but let’s just say there are a few decent candidates in northern Europe who come under that category. Not so Brazil.
This is a country where Carnival is the most popular holiday on the calendar. For a whole week the country pretty much stops in its tracks with only industrial production, a few commercial outlets (such as malls) and carnival-related businesses carrying on as per usual while the rest of the country dresses up in colourful clothing, paints their body, watches floats go by and dances Samba into the early hours of the morning. Only to wake up the next morning and do it all over again.
No wonder over 1.5 million people – made up jointly of Brazilians from other cities and overseas tourists – travel to Rio de Janeiro every year to be part of the 6-million strong crowds partying in the streets of Rio. No wonder Rio’s is the biggest Carnival in the world, as per the Guinness World Records.
Speaking of Samba, it’s in the Brazilians’ blood. It’s a way of expressing themselves, of letting their hair down and enjoying the moment. Its less raunchy but no less athletic cousin, the capoeira dance, was developed during colonial times by slaves. In typical Brazilian fashion, they made it into something fun, sometimes as a competitive sport, other times as an exhibition of dancing.
And what of football? Well, for starters Brazilians love it so much that they’re also credited with inventing spin-off games of it including beach football and foot volley, marrying their passion of football with their love of the beach.
As for football itself, they’re so passionate about it that the nation hits the pause button when each Copa America or better still, the World Cup, comes along. They all wait with bated breath to see if the Seleção can warm the hearts of a nation with another memorable win.
They certainly have in the past. No-one can match their five World Cup wins though the last of them was a while ago, back in 2002. Their passion for sports, and success in it, certainly isn’t limited to the ‘Beautiful Game’, either.
They’re the most successful side ever in both futsal and volleyball, while they’ve also produced several Formula One World champions such as Ayrton Senna and Nelson Piquet and a multiple Grand Slam-winning tennis champion in Gustavo Kuerten, to name but a few of their biggest sporting stars of recent years.
An insatiable thirst for enjoyment and excitement
What’s the relevance of all this? That Brazilians are a fun-loving nation who enjoy having a good time and feeling an adrenaline rush through their body as much as they love sports.
And it’s not just sports they love, by the way.
Card games, local and national lotteries, the infamous ‘Jogo do bicho’ and Fussball are other nation-wide obsessions that have captured the hearts of thrill-seeking, competitive Brazilians.
So you can see why a nation made up of over 200 million like-minded, fun-worshipping people with nation-wide internet access presents the biggest opportunity the world of online gambling has seen in years.
Are you an operator, a game provider, do you own an affiliate site or have some other commercial interest in the iGaming industry? Yes?
Well, keep reading because the ongoing changing of the Brazilian online gambling landscape presents the sort of opportunity that doesn’t come around too often.
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes…
“Still don’t know what I was waitin’ for.
David Bowie
And my time was runnin’ wild.
A million dead end streets and
Every time I thought I’d got it made.
…Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange
Don’t want to be a richer man”
So sang David Bowie. He probably didn’t have regulatory changes to online gambling laws in Brazil when he sang it in mind. No matter, the ‘waitin’ is over because the changes are upon us.
There are plenty of them and 2025 is probably the most significant year in decades in terms of revolution and evolution when it comes to gambling in Brazil. So it’s worth knowing what’s going on right now in the land of capoeira, caipirinhas and Copacabana sunsets.
Back in December 2023, Brazil sanctioned Law 14.790/23, paving the way for regulated fixed odds betting and a new era for gaming, both locally and worldwide.
This latest amendment aims to provide growth to the market, while also ensuring the safety of Brazilian players, both through the promotion of responsible gambling and the regulation of the operators who want to be present in it.
This Act outlines real-money gaming segments and stipulates the standards for physical, online, sports-themed and other virtual games.
It also set out the guidelines for advertising around betting.
Historical Context: From Prohibition to Potential
It’s been a long road for legal gambling in Brazil.
Before World War II, land-based casinos were blossoming across the country with 70 different ones to choose from, employing 60,000 people. Blackjack, roulette, baccarat or whatever else your chosen poison of the day happened to be was readily available up and down the country and plenty of Brazilian folk were more than willing to chance their hand at the tables.
That all came to an abrupt halt when the spoilsport that was President Getúlio Vargas banned gambling in 1941.
As also happened in plenty of other restricted countries, gambling soon went underground. After all, just because something is illegal doesn’t mean people won’t partake. Just look at Prohibition a bit further up north in the US during the 1920s and early 1930s. Yes, people find a way.
This status quo remained largely unchanged between 1971 and 2018, with a few additional restrictions and an allowance for state lotteries and betting on horse racing.
The recent regulatory changes started to take effect in 2018 when Brazil chose to convert its restricted gambling market to a regulated one.
2018 saw the first move towards regulation when Federal Law 13.756 legalised fixed-odds bets.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, better known as just ‘Lula’, signed the bill on December 30th, 2023, officially enacting 14.790/23 into law, finally regulating sports betting and online gambling in Brazil.
Market Potential: Why Brazil is a Game-Changer
According to Statista, Brazil’s iGaming market revenue is expected to grow at an annual rate of 15.39% (CAGR 2024-2029), resulting in a projected market volume of US$4.03 billion by 2029.
Brazil itself will benefit from about US$0.49 billion over the period for licensing fees and around US$2.2 billion a year in taxation. This doesn’t even include the taxation placed on player winnings. That may seem an alien concept to many of us over in Europe that you’re taxed on gambling winnings but it’s very real over there, and is a measure that will be implemented in Brazil as a further source of revenue for the government.
But what is it about Brazil that makes it such an attractive prospect for gaming providers and operators?
Demographic Powerhouse
It should go without saying that the bigger a country’s population, the larger its market potential. With 217 million people, of which 187.9 million are internet users as of January 2024, and new regulations, Brazil is on the precipice of becoming one of the giants of the industry.
The country’s digital landscape is a compelling one. Around 99% of all young people own smartphones and use mobile internet. Making them an ideal market for the online gaming industry.
A recent survey conducted by iGaming research firm ENV also showed Brazilian players tend to play several betting products rather than just one.
Customers who enjoy playing different betting products or lots of games within a product such as casino are like gold dust, a further reason why this is such a potentially valuable market.
Sports Culture
It’s well known that football isn’t just a game in Brazil; it’s almost a religion. Think cricket in India or Rugby Union in New Zealand.
It is deeply ingrained in their culture; it’s in their blood. Just think of Pelé, Neymar, Garrincha and Ronaldinho; they’re all as Brazilian as Caipirinhas and Samba.
Volleyball, basketball, futsal and motorsports are extremely popular too, and you can bet their countrymen, and women, support them fervently. Often by putting their money where their mouths are, as well.
This affinity makes it the perfect ecosystem for sports betting and iGaming.
Forecasts suggest that 86.43% of Brazilian sports fans will likely use betting services. That’s a truly impressive number and another clue as to the potential in the Brazilian online gaming market.
Affinity for games
The popularity of games like Jogo do Bicho (an informal lottery game) demonstrates how deeply ingrained chance-based entertainment is in Brazilian society.
Approximately 17% of users still participate in this traditional game, which has been a cultural institution for generations.Psychologically, several motivations drive Brazilian players, and it’s not just money. Studies suggest they are also motivated to gamble for entertainment (42%), to enhance sporting experiences (36%), as a form of competition (41%) and sometimes simply as a recreational hobby (25%).
Strategies for Market Success
The list of licensed casino and sports betting companies currently includes 96 operators nationwide and 18 authorised to operate at the state level.
However, a few operators have recently dropped out of the process, including high-profile international betting company Betway.
So, what exactly is the key to success in this promising new market?
Cultural Localization: The Key to Engagement
What does localization mean, why is it important and what is an example of it?
First up, here’s our definition of it: it’s the complex process of adapting a product or service to a specific culture.
And now over to All-in Global’s very own Gabriel Adao, Business Development Manager, for an illustration of it in practice:
“I’m Portuguese, hence, I speak European Portuguese. Last year, whilst attending SiGMA World in São Paulo, I found myself ordering some caipirinhas and getting astonished by the fact that the bartender answered me in English! Even though we speak the same language, with mostly the same words and structure. It was hard for him to understand what I was saying. This in itself, proves why Localization is so important in this industry. How can we connect with our audiences, if our content doesn’t speak to them, especially in a market like the Brazilian one?”
Localisation goes beyond mere translation. When creating both games and betting sites for Brazilian punters, using authentic Brazilian Portuguese is essential. It’s the only way you’ll be able to reach your customers in the region and make them trust you by having faith that you’re catering specifically to them, rather than just everyone.
Our localisation experts also incorporate local slang and cultural references. We can help you adapt your game themes to Brazilian preferences and create content that resonates with local audiences.
For example, Gates of Olympus (the popular Pragmatic Play slot) may be what we English-speaking players call it but it goes by a very different name over there, being nicknamed, Velho de Raio. That loosely translates as the Old Man with the Thunderbolt, which students of Ancient Greece will know is an appropriate moniker for the slot’s protagonist: Zeus.
This colourful nickname wasn’t bestowed on the game by Pragmatic, but rather by Brazilian players and streamers, highlighting the importance of understanding cultural perceptions.
So if you’re looking to sell that slot to Brazilian players, you want to be calling it by what they call it. Knowing that and having content that reflects it is a good example of localisation in practice.
Content and SEO
There are several reasons why Brazil’s digital landscape requires specialised content strategies. Only 5% of the population is proficient in English, so to reach the average player and rank as highly on Google.com.br as possible, your content must be grammatically correct, factually accurate, culturally relevant and SEO-optimised.
And the SEO should be built around Google.com.br, since it holds 93.61% of the search engine market share.
And it’s not just about language, it’s also about understanding Brazilian search habits and preferences.
Even before this legislation was enacted, there had been a significant increase in the interest in online sports betting in Brazil. According to Google Trends, searches relating to gambling have increased 20-fold over the last five years.
Many of the most popular terms relating to sport betting include branded searches such as Bet465 and Estrela. For casinos “cassino” and “roleta” (roulette) rank on top.
So, what drives these Brazilian players to play? According to TGM Research, the biggest motivator is the desire to win money (53.85%), followed by the excitement of the gambling experience (42.25%) and adding entertainment to watching sports (36.07%).
The last two should come as no surprise given what we already know about fun-loving Brazilians.
Tailoring Game Portfolio to Cultural Preferences
Leaving sports betting for a moment and focusing just on casino instead, Brazilian players have distinct gaming preferences. Crash games currently lead the way in terms of popularity, but there is also a strong predilection for medium-volatility slots. This shows that they appreciate games with balanced risk-and-reward profiles.
In terms of the design and themes of games, anything based around sports is likely to be a hit.
But even games inspired by sports are trumped by animal-themed games, which are especially beloved.
A different research paper by ENV shows that all five top spots for the most-played slots in Brazil are occupied by animal-themed games, all made by the same provider, PG Soft. Starting with the most popular first, they are: Fortune Tiger (another one with a local nickname, which is Jogo do Tigrinho), Fortune Rabbit, Fortune Ox, Fortune Dragon and Fortune Mouse.
So now you know. Want Brazilians to play your slots? To paraphrase Field of Dreams: build slots with animals in them…and they will come.
Consideration should also be given to marketing strategies; promotions should align with significant cultural references and big events such as the big Carnival we’ve looked at, Football ornaments and the Rock in Rio music festival.
Of course, with such a love for sports, operators focusing on the Brazilian market should ideally combine their casino games portfolio with a comprehensive sportsbook.
If you’re curious to know what players are betting on, market research suggests 80% of active users place football bets, 13% wager on esports and 12% on basketball, likely placed several times a week, by as many as one-third of the population.
Technical Considerations for Market Entry
The new regulations require operators to implement several measures such as obtaining licences and implementing strict KYC. Interestingly, taxation is placed on both player winnings and operator’s net profits.
Successful market entry in Brazil also requires a technical infrastructure beyond traditional payment integration.
Operators interested in entering the market should prioritise PIX as a primary payment method, while also focusing on the mobile product over the web-based one. They should also localise customer support interfaces in Brazilian Portuguese and use Sigap, a Betting Management System, to regulate real-time betting markets. Implementing strict age verification processes and giving customers access to responsible gaming tools, including self-exclusion, are other ‘musts’.
Why Translation Royale (a Part of the All-in Global Family) is Your Ideal Partner
In November 2023, Translation Royale became part of All-in Global. Our expertise lies in knowing the unique nuances of each of the markets we cover. We bring more than 16 years of iGaming industry experience to the table.
For operators keen on entering this exciting new market, we offer native Brazilian Portuguese translators. It’s not just about translating, by the way, it’s about localizing, as we’ve covered already.
Our translators understand the culture and know how to reach the locals in their own language: the slang, the idiomatic expressions, the cultural references.
Our content writers understand SEO, not just on a global level, but with a focus on google.com.br.
Our vast portfolio of Brazilian translators and copywriters are world-class and focused solely on the region, so what better partners to ‘go to battle’ with than us?
Conclusion: A Market Ripe with Opportunity
The recent regulation in Brazil represents one of the biggest transformative opportunities in the iGaming industry. But for operators to take advantage of this chance, it’s essential to understand this unique cultural landscape.
Investing in localisation and approaching the market with strategic insight is the best way for companies to tap into one of the most exciting emerging markets in the world.
Whether you’re looking to expand your reach into Brazil or any other region, contact sales@all-in.global and see how we can help you engage with a global audience.
