Sports Betting Expansion in Brazil: Impacts on Psychiatric Health

Abstract

This article presents a psychiatric analysis of the rapid growth of online betting (bets) in Brazil and its connections to the political structure of the country. Current data indicate that approximately 30% of Brazilians, mainly young men, have engaged in online bets, with alarming consequences for public health, such as unpayable debts and a fifteen-fold increase in suicide risk among gamblers. The landscape of sports betting in Brazil has undergone significant changes over the decades, and concurrently, modern society has experienced substantial shifts in digital inclusion. Within this context, the bets market has exhibited remarkable growth in the country, driven by easy access to platforms and instant payment methods, which has turned anyone with a cell phone and internet access into a potential customer. However, health policies have not kept pace with this growth, transforming bettors into potential victims of psychiatric disorders across a broad spectrum. It is important to highlight that the treatment of gambling-related disorders is multifactorial, including therapeutic techniques (CBT, motivational interviewing, group therapy, psychoeducation and family support), in addition to the use of pharmacological strategies. This study aims to investigate the correlation between the expansion of this market and the potential harm to psychiatric health caused by betting addiction, like Suicide Related to Financial Losses, severe depression, self-destructive behavior, acute psychotic episodes or dissociative states and comorbidities with substance use and personality disorders. For the reserch, it was included scientific articles and journalistic reports published in Portuguese and English, using as databases the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), the International Classification of Diseases, Eleventh Edition (ICD-11), as well as national and international scientific journals accessed through Google Scholar, since 1994 until 2025; older references was used for historical context.