The online sports betting industry is facing a period of increased attention in Brazil. The Sports Betting CPI, established in the Senate, has once again gained prominence after the testimony of influencer Virginia Fonseca, who has a strong presence on social media with over 53 million followers and maintains contracts with companies in the sector. According to a survey by Escavador, a legaltech specializing in the organization of public legal data, 6,575 legal cases related to sports betting were registered in Brazil between 2023 and 2025.
The cases range from requests for compensation for moral and material damages to accusations of abusive practices, revealing a concerning scenario in a sector that moves billions of reais and is driven by digital influencers, athletes, and aggressive advertising campaigns. Even with the legalization of betting in 2023, the numbers reveal that the judicialization of the sector is growing at an accelerated pace. Some of the main platforms operating in Brazil have accumulated hundreds of lawsuits, such as Bet365 Loterias do Brasil, with 326 cases as defendant, and Betano (Kaizen Gaming Brasil Ltda), with 172 records, both primarily related to moral damages, financial losses, and violations of consumer rights.
The data analyzed by Escavador are public and exclude cases under secrecy of justice. According to the platform, the number of lawsuits holding digital influencers responsible for alleged co-authorship in practices harmful to consumers is increasing. An emblematic example involves influencer Virginia Fonseca, who, in addition to being heard by the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee on Sports Betting, is one of the defendants in a lawsuit filed by an individual. The process also includes several betting houses and the influencer Deolane Bezerra. The plaintiff seeks the restitution of R$ 322,750.00 and an additional R$ 800,000.00 for moral damages, totaling R$ 1,122,750.00.
In this context,Dalila Pinheiro, legal analyst and DPO of EscavadorToday, one of the main risks of betting platforms is no longer their illegality, but the way addiction is promoted under the guise of entertainment. Many young people end up falling into a cycle of compulsiveness and debt, believing they are investing when, in reality, they are just betting. According to ANBIMA data, more than 4 million Brazilians believe that sports betting is a form of investment.
