The National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) of Brazil sent an extrajudicial notification addressed to the research institute Datafolha, demanding clarifications about the methodology and technical criteria used in a survey that identified online betting as one of the factors of indebtedness in the country.
Read more Peru 2026: tight count, political tension, and a still uncertain runoff
According to the ANJL, the purpose of the measure is not to question the role of research institutes, but to ensure that the results are disseminated with transparency, rigor, and without associations that could lead to misinterpretations. The entity considered that the dissemination of the report was imprecise and could generate a negative impact on the public perception of the sector, especially in an election year.
The study does not distinguish between legal and illegal operators, according to the ANJL
One of the main criticisms of the association points to the lack of distinction between licensed platforms and illegal operators within the questions posed by Datafolha. For the ANJL, this omission generates inappropriate generalizations and potentially distorted conclusions that affect the reputation of a sector that operates within the current regulatory framework.
The entity warned in its official statement that the survey questions, as disseminated by the press, do not establish differences between authorized companies and those operating outside the law, which compromises the validity of the published conclusions.
Comparing betting with mortgage loans distorts the reality of the sector
The ANJL also objected that the Datafolha report equates the consumption of entertainment services linked to betting with types of bank credit, such as real estate financing, credit cards, and payroll-deducted loans. For the association, this comparison lacks foundation and distorts the nature of the sector.
The entity highlighted that bank credits are present in the lives of almost all adult Brazilians, while only about 12% of Brazilians have an active account in an online betting house, according to data from the Ministry of Finance cited by the ANJL. The difference in scale makes the comparison methodologically invalid.
Read more Buenos Aires implements mandatory digital payments in land-based gambling
Plínio Lemos Jorge, president of the ANJL, was direct on the matter: “What the sector is asking for is impartial dissemination, without distortions and without comparisons that make no sense, such as equating betting with bank loans.”
The ANJL points to the electoral and democratic impact of studies lacking methodological rigor
The extrajudicial notification is not exclusively addressed to Datafolha. According to the ANJL, the measure also seeks to hold other sector organizations accountable for publications lacking due methodological clarity. The body warns that this type of report can lead society to misinterpretations with concrete consequences on the electoral scenario and the country’s democratic process.
The association framed the initiative as a call for greater institutional responsibility in the dissemination of studies with public reach, especially when the results can affect the regulation of industries that generate employment, tax revenue, and formal economic activity in Brazil.
In this context, the ANJL reiterated its call for public opinion studies linked to the online betting sector to incorporate greater methodological precision and transparency in their analysis criteria, in order to avoid interpretations that may oversimplify a complex phenomenon. The entity insisted that the debate on online gambling in Brazil must be based on differentiated data between the regulated and illegal markets, and warned that constructing narratives without this nuance can influence both social perception and future regulatory decisions.
Read more Valencia: the courts uphold the gambling decree and reject the sector’s appeals
