The online sports betting industry is facing a period of increased attention in Brazil. The Sports Betting CPI, established in the Senate, gained prominence again after the testimony of influencer Virginia Fonseca, who has a significant 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 organizing public legal data, 6,575 legal proceedings 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 generates billions of reais and is driven by digital influencers, athletes, and aggressive advertising campaigns. Despite the legalization of betting in 2023, the numbers show that the legal disputes in the sector are growing rapidly. Some of the main platforms operating in Brazil have accumulated hundreds of lawsuits, such as Bet365 Loterias do Brasil, with 326 cases as defendants, and Betano (Kaizen Gaming Brasil Ltda), with 172 records, mostly related to moral damages, financial losses, and violations of consumer rights.
The data analyzed by Escavador are public and exclude cases under legal secrecy. According to the platform, there is a growing number of actions holding digital influencers responsible for alleged co-authorship in harmful practices to consumers. An emblematic example involves influencer Virginia Fonseca, who, besides being heard by the CPI of Sports Betting, is one of the defendants in a lawsuit filed by an individual. The lawsuit also includes several betting houses and influencer Deolane Bezerra. The plaintiff in the action seeks 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, a legal analyst and DPO at Escavador, assesses: “Today, one of the main risks of betting platforms is no longer illegality, but how addiction is promoted under the guise of entertainment. Many young people end up in a cycle of compulsivity and indebtedness, believing they are investing when they are actually just gambling.” According to ANBIMA data, more than 4 million Brazilians believe sports betting constitutes a form of investment.
