The first half of 2025 marked a profound reconfiguration in the digital entertainment and payment ecosystem in Brazil Pagsmile, the sports betting vertical (sports betting) surpassed for the first time the online casino segment, accounting for 59.5% of the total transacted, with a volume of R$ 434.7 million in just three months. Already the digital casino processed R$ 295.8 million (40.5%), reversing the hegemony observed until 2024.
The research points out that the advancement of bets is a direct result of the regulation of the sector, the growth of sports appeal in a year of events such as Copa America and Olympics, and the massive adoption of mobile devices as the main means of betting. Advertising campaigns and digital influencers have also driven the migration of new user profiles to the universe of sports betting.
In addition to the turnaround in entertainment verticals, the report reveals a significant shift in digital consumer payment habits. The PIX, which reigned absolute in 2023 with 98% of revenue, fell to 63.29% in 2025, a loss of more than 30 percentage points in two years.
In its place, bank transfers via Open Finance gained strength, reaching 26.28% of participation, while the SPEI (Mexico) method emerged with 8.61%, signaling regional expansion of Pagsmile in Latin America. Digital wallets (wallets) and PSE (Colombia) also begin to register presence, reinforcing the trend of regionalization and diversification of payment methods.
"The Latin American digital consumer is more demanding and connected. He seeks local, reliable and integrated payment methods to his daily financial life. This redefines entry strategies and competitiveness of international platforms”, says Marlon Tseng, CEO of Pagsmile.
The report also notes that bank transfer growth may be linked to PIX operational limits and new compliance requirements imposed by betting market regulators.This change demonstrates a search for ways with greater traceability and control, especially in high-fiscal sectors.
In parallel, verticals such as e-commerce, streaming and games also begin to capture the effect of payment diversification.In e-commerce, integration via Open Finance and digital wallets should boost cross-border purchases by the end of the year. Streaming tends to benefit from instant payments and hybrid subscription and pay-per-view models.
In the consolidated, the Pagsmile survey shows that 2025 is the year of payment fragmentation and regional expansion of digital entertainment, with Brazil taking a leading role in the Latin American ecosystem.
