Números da Sorte e Jogos de Azar: Caracterização das Bets Irregulares em Canais do Telegram no Brasil

• Samuel Guimarães UFMG
• Karen Gomes UFMG
• Nicolas Reis UFV
• Filipe N. Ribeiro UFOP
• Julio C. S. Reis UFV
• Fabrício Benevenuto UFMG

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/webmedia.2026.31030

Resumo

In Brazil, the online betting market outside legalized fixedodds betting platforms is estimated to account for over 40% of the market share, generating billions in revenue. As unregulated platforms, they can offer odds that are unfeasible for regulated competitors, allow users who are otherwise prohibited from playing, and use banned game mechanics such as starting bonuses. To reach users, these platforms often use instant messaging apps like Telegram, which is already used for some illegal activities. This study investigates public Brazilian Telegram channels to identify and characterize unregulated betting websites by examining common domain characteristics, searching for evidence of coordinated action among creators, and analyzing channel content. In total, we find 6,523 websites, with evidence of coordination between domains based on Ad Analytics IDs, CSS and JavaScript files, and HTML templates, as well as evidence of phishing based on alerts from antivirus scanners. Finally, we find that channel content promises easy money through leaked bonus codes, supposed bugs in betting games, and raffles organized in the channels. Our results provide insights that we hope will improve understanding and help combat irregular betting.

Palavras-chave: Apostas de quota fixa, Bets, Golpes

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