If you run, the tiger catches you; if you bet, it eats you: BETS, profits from the periphery, and digital influencers

During the week of May 13, the Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI) on betting turned into a spectacle: influencers, selfies with politicians, and profits above all else — welcome to politics as entertainment. 

Online betting is booming — and revealing a new stage of digital capitalism, where gambling blends with influencer marketing and dreams of escaping poverty. During the week of May 13, 2025, Brazil’s Congressional Inquiry into sports betting (the “Bets CPI”) turned into a media circus: digital influencers — many of them with a relatable, “just like us” image — filled the news and roamed the halls of Congress, snapping selfies with politicians as if it were all just a game. But behind the spectacle, a tough question remains: who’s actually making money off the dreams being sold to poor and connected communities?

What are “Bets”?

In simple terms, “Bets” refers to digital platforms for online sports betting and gambling, which have grown rapidly in Brazil. These platforms let people place money on the results of sports matches — especially football — and also offer online casinos, roulette, slot machines, and viral games like “Fortune Tiger” (known as the “little tiger”), all driven by algorithms that manage risk and probability.

Starting in 2023, the Brazilian government began regulating this industry through Provisional Measure No. 1.182/2023, which was later replaced by Law No. 14.790/2023. The goal is to create tax rules, protect users, and fight crimes like money laundering and tax evasion. It’s important to know that before 2023, betting was already allowed under Law No. 13.756/2018, but it wasn’t properly regulated — which led to a chaotic and risky environment.

The massive growth of this market has been powered by expensive advertising campaigns. Betting logos now appear on football jerseys, at sports events, and especially in influencer content on social media. Many influencers promote these platforms as a quick way to get rich — without mentioning the dangers of debt, gambling addiction, or losing everything. This aggressive marketing mainly targets young people and low-income communities, making betting a widespread trend — but also a growing concern for public health and social justice.

Profits from the periphery

Several studies and news reports have shown that the business model behind online betting in Brazil is based on exploiting vulnerable communities — especially young people and residents of urban peripheries. One study found that 63% of bettors use part of their income to gamble, and data from Brazil’s Central Bank shows that Bolsa Família recipients spent around R$3 billion on online betting in August 2024 alone. Research by the Locomotiva Institute (2024) also revealed that 86% of bettors are in debt, and 64% have negative credit scores with Serasa. Rather than promoting financial inclusion, betting platforms are deepening social inequality by selling the illusion of upward mobility through luck.

This system is powered by digital influencers who earn money directly from their followers’ losses, through commission deals with betting platforms. In other words, the more users lose, the more influencers earn — creating a serious ethical problem and a twisted business model that profits from poverty. Influencers with millions of followers promote gambling as an easy way to “get rich,” often hiding the fact that they are paid per click, sign-up, or a percentage of the losses made by users they refer. Investigations by The Intercept Brasil uncovered influencer contracts with betting companies worth up to R$50,000 per month, not including bonuses based on how much referred users lose.

In terms of age, 30% of people between 16 and 24 years old had placed a bet in 2025.

How does the BETs cycle work?

• Platforms launch games and betting systems:
  Betting companies create apps and websites with flashy visuals, welcome bonuses, and mechanics designed to trigger addiction. Games like “Fortune Tiger” (nicknamed tigrinho) use sound effects, animations, and fast outcomes to hook players. These systems are run by algorithms that favor the house — meaning the platform’s profit is built in. Players losing isn’t accidental; it’s part of the system.

• Influencers promote the games:
  Influencers — often with millions of followers — promote betting as a way to “change your life.” They use the language and look of urban youth and marginalized communities to seem relatable. But behind the scenes, they’re in deals that reward them not for their followers’ success, but for their losses. The more their audience loses, the more they make — fueling a vicious cycle of monetizing misery.

• Vulnerable communities are targeted:
  The promise of easy money mostly attracts young people and those in financially unstable situations. Data from 2024 shows that R$3 billion from Bolsa Família — meant for essentials like food, rent, and healthcare — ended up in betting platforms. And 30% of people aged 16–24 have already gambled online in 2025, often without fully understanding the emotional and financial risks involved.

• Influencers and platforms profit from losses:
  It’s a simple equation: when bettors lose, the system wins. Platforms grow their user base and revenue, while influencers earn commissions on losses. An estimated 23 million people bet online in 2024, feeding a cycle of debt for many and profit for a few. Personal suffering becomes content, and crisis becomes a business opportunity.

Online betting is no longer just “entertainment” — it’s becoming a public health issue. According to an analysis by Folha de S.Paulo based on data from Brazil’s public health system (SUS), the number of outpatient treatments for gambling addiction increased sevenfold between 2020 and 2024. The explosion of platform usage, combined with a lack of awareness campaigns or effective public policies, has worsened addiction and psychological distress — especially among young people and those living in poverty.

Behind the promise of easy profit lies a network of million-dollar deals between betting companies, influencers, and celebrities. These figures, with massive reach, sell an image of success tied to consumption and the idea that gambling is “fun and easy.” But what’s really at stake is a business model that profits from loss: the more people lose, the more influencers earn. The first push usually comes as a “free credit” or welcome bonus, tied to promo links that platforms monitor. Signing up — which may seem harmless — is often the first step into a cycle of addiction and debt.

The federal government’s regulation of online betting may have brought legal structure to the sector, but it hasn’t solved the ethical, social, or economic crisis it represents. The billions in profits generated by the BETs industry don’t translate into social protection — and legalizing the business doesn’t make it fair. The so-called “dance of profitable games” continues to spin, fueled by the losses of millions of Brazilians — who keep the system going with their frustrations, hopes, and vulnerabilities.

What Is the BETs CPI Revealing?

The BETs Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI), launched in the Senate in November 2024, shows that online betting isn’t just a digital trend — it’s a billion-dollar industry operating with little transparency, oversight, or social responsibility. By calling influencers and platform representatives to testify, the commission has uncovered massive advertising contracts, a lack of ethical standards in how these games are promoted, and a profit chain directly tied to public debt and financial harm.

The very existence of the CPI confirms that this is no longer just a personal issue — it’s a public matter with real consequences for Brazilian families, especially the poorest ones.

More than just investigating potential crimes, the CPI raises a fundamental question: who should be held accountable for the financial exploitation of poverty?

• Influencers who profit from others’ losses?

• Platforms based in offshore tax havens?

• Governments that allow vulnerable populations to be targeted without proper regulation?
  

The CPI’s work is still ongoing and limited, but it already makes one thing clear: the BETs system is not a coincidence — it’s a highly profitable scheme disguised as harmless entertainment.

It’s time to understand that…

Bets represent one of the cruelest sides of digital capitalism: the transformation of poverty into a commodity. By exploiting the economic despair and the legitimate hope of thousands of Brazilians for a better life, the online betting system profits from poverty, unemployment, and lack of opportunity.

This isn’t about bad luck or individual choices — it’s a structured business model designed to profit from other people’s suffering. While millions lose what little they have — including money meant for their children’s food — a small elite of influencers and investors watches their bank accounts grow.

This is the financialization of hope, where the wheel spins, but only the top wins — and wins through hunger, debt, and silence.