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The Senate Economic Affairs Committee in Brazil have approved the rise in sports betting and online gaming tax this week.
This will see taxes raised on betting licenses from their current level of 12% to 18% by 2028, with gradual increases in 2026 and 2027.
Tax will rise from 12% to 15% in 2027, before the 18% threshold is reached in 2028. In total, there were 21 votes in favor and just one against for the proposal.
Initially, Senator Renan Calheiros proposed a rise from 12% to 24% on the Gross Revenue Guaranteed (GGR), however, this was reduced to 18% following a proposal by Senator Eduardo Braga.
A CAE do Senado aprovou um dos projetos mais importantes do ano!
Bets e Fintechs pagarão mais impostos para custear o Imposto de Renda zero. Eles foram blindados na Câmara, mas apresentamos um projeto separado pra não atrapalhar a sanção do IR zero.
— Renan Calheiros (@renancalheiros) December 2, 2025
While the decision is still pending final approval, it does have the backing of both President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva and the Finance Minister Fernando Haddad and the proposal will now move to the Chamber of Deputies.
This news comes weeks after Brazil’s fixed-odds betting market looks set to boost the economy of the country in the coming years.
Brazil’s fixed-odds betting market to boost economy
In a recent survey, titled ‘Overview of the Fixed Odds Betting Market’, carried out by the LCA Consultores Econômica and Cruz Consulting, which was officially requested by the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR) and the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL).
The findings of this survey show that R$7.5 billion ($1.4 billion) of equity has already been invested.
As such, this could potentially lead to a staggering investment of R$28 billion ($5 billion), thus helping with demand across other areas of the Brazilian economy.
“The regulated betting market represents a new cycle of opportunities for Brazil, with investments, formal jobs and social contribution,” said André Gelfi, director and co-founder of IBJR.
“It is a newly regulated, technological and high value-added sector, which moves an entire production chain linked to sports, marketing and entertainment.”
By 2030, Brazil’s betting market is forecast to generate BRL 64 billion (US$11.3B), and despite being in its embryonic stages, the country could be set to rank in the top five of online betting markets in the world.
Featured Image: AI-generated by Ideogram
