New behavioral data released by the Empresa Brasileira de Apoio ao Compulsivo (EBAC) has provided a deep dive into the gambling habits of Brazilian bettors during the 2026 Carnival season.
Conducted through the company’s proprietary “Pulse” program, the survey highlights how major national festivities can create significant fluctuations in gambling compulsivity and support-seeking behavior.
Interestingly, the data revealed a 25% decline in support requests from compulsive bettors during the heart of the celebrations (February 13–17) compared to early February. EBAC suggests this could be a temporary positive shift due to increased social awareness or the distracting nature of the holiday.
However, this trend reversed sharply on Ash Wednesday, which saw a 25% increase in requests as individuals attempted to recoup funds spent during the holiday through high-risk gambling.
The “Pulse” program analyzed 452 specific service interactions over the four-day period. While most were routine, five were classified as emergencies and successfully resolved.
Of the individuals who completed the self-assessment, 32% were categorized as “high-risk,” prompting EBAC to notify operators to implement enhanced monitoring for these specific accounts to maintain a safe betting environment.
Cristiano Costa, Psychologist and Director of Knowledge at EBAC, commented: “We know that through user profiling, operators can establish internal policies for preventing gambling addiction and ensuring corporate responsibility. In our survey, we identified that the age groups that present the highest calculated risks are those between 25 and 34 years old (30%), and those between 35 and 44 years old (around 30%).”
EBAC emphasizes that this data-driven approach is essential for the sustainable growth of Brazil’s regulated betting market, allowing operators to be more assertive in their preventive strategies for high-risk demographics.
