The Brazilian government announced Tuesday (Oct. 6) that it has requested the blocking of 13,241 illegal gambling websites since September 25, when online betting was banned in the country. During the same period, requests were also made to remove thousands of web pages and social media profiles.

On the first day following the official shutdown of betting websites, BRL 1.325 billion still awaits refund to approximately 26.5 million bettors.

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According to Finance Minister Dario Durigan, the crackdown on illegal gambling represents a shift in household cash flow.

“We had already identified BRL 600 million to 650 million per day leaving low-income savings accounts and going to betting operations – money from low-income savings accounts that now stays with families. This is a significant change,” he stated.

Blocked websites

Of the 188 gambling websites authorized to operate in Brazil until Monday (5), only one remained operational on Tuesday. The Ministry of Finance reported that a request had also been made to block it.

The number of requests to shut down illegal websites averages some 1,103 pages per day since the ban went into effect.

In addition to the websites, the government requested the removal of content related to illegal gambling from various digital platforms:

• 974 Facebook pages;
• 560 Instagram profiles;
• 900 Telegram channels and groups;
• 103 TikTok profiles;
• 14 WhatsApp groups;
• 1 Discord server.

The collection of pages, profiles, channels, groups, and servers reached more than 17 million users, the minister noted.

Refunds

This Tuesday marked the first day that authorized betting platforms in Brazil were not operating. The shutdown follows the schedule established by the provisional measure issued by the government.

The deadline for bettors to voluntarily withdraw their funds expired at 11:59 p.m. Brasília time, on Monday (5).

The companies have until Wednesday (7) to inform financial institutions of each user’s remaining balance – identified by their taxpayer registration number – as well as the bank account used for deposits.

According to the government, the amounts still pending refund are:

• BRL 1.325 billion in remaining balances;
• 26.5 million bettors with some amount remaining on the platforms;
• 86.2 million accounts with balances from BRL 0.01 to BRL 0.99;
• BRL 15.5 million in total across accounts with less than BRL 1.

The number of accounts exceeds the number of bettors because a single person may have accounts on different platforms.

Concentrated balance

Despite the large number of accounts, most of the funds are concentrated among a small portion of users.

Minister Durigan stated that about one percent of bettors – equivalent to approximately 200,000 people – account for 80 percent of the balance that still needs to be refunded.

Meanwhile, 3.4 percent of bettors account for about 90 percent of the outstanding funds.

“The vast majority of bettors have very small balances. So, for example, one percent of bettors – some 200,000 – account for 80 percent of the balance currently pending redemption. And 3.4 percent of bettors account for 90 percent. I see that there is a high degree of concentration,” he said.

Accounts under investigation

The government also plans to investigate accounts with balances considered high. According to Durigan, about 40 accounts have balances exceeding BRL 500,000 or BRL 1 million.

The investigation will look into possible money laundering and any links to criminal organizations.

The probe is taking place in parallel with the process of returning balances to bettors and measures to block platforms deemed illegal.

Buoyed by oil, fuels, soybeans, and copper, Brazil’s trade balance posted a surplus of USD 7.74 billion in September, more than double the figure recorded in September 2025 (USD 3.14 billion).

This performance was driven by export growth, which increased 12.9 percent during the period, according to data released on Tuesday (Oct. 6) by the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services.

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It was the second-highest surplus for the month, second only to September 2023 (USD 9.18 billion).

Key figures:

• Surplus: USD 7.74 billion (+146.4% compared with September 2025);
• Exports: USD 34.42 billion (+12.9%);
• Imports: USD 26.68 billion (-2.4%);

The trade balance - the sum of exports and imports - reached USD 61.09 billion, the highest figure recorded for September in the historical series and the second-highest for any month, second only to June of this year (USD 61.99 billion).

Export growth

The increase in exports was led by the extractive industry, followed by the manufacturing sector and agribusiness.

• Extractive industry: USD 9.44 billion (+39.8% compared with September 2025);
• Manufacturing: USD 17.67 billion (+5.3%);
• Agriculture and livestock: USD 7 billion (+4.8%).

Featured products:

• Extractive industry: crude oil (+77.3% compared with September last year), copper ore (+74.2%);
• Manufacturing: soybean meal (+47.7%), fuels (+39.1%);
• Agriculture and livestock: soybeans (+11.9%), unroasted coffee (+8.7%), rye and oats (from USD 407,000 to USD 127.8 million, a 31,200% increase due to differences in the shipping schedule).

In the case of oil, increased production and a 24.7 percent rise in average prices, following the escalation of the war in the Middle East, boosted exports.

Sales destinations

Exports grew to most of Brazil’s major markets, including the United States, despite trade tensions between the two countries. However, they fell to Asia and remained stable to South America.

Exports by region:

• Europe: USD 8.3 billion (+51.9%)
• North America: USD 5.2 billion (+30.6%)
• South America: USD 4.2 billion (stable)
• Asia: USD 17.4 billion (-2.5%)

Sales to the United States rose 31.9 percent in September, despite the imposition of new tariffs on Brazilian products. However, they fell 6.5 percent year-to-date.

For the European Union, the growth can be attributed to the agreement with Mercosur, which is boosting sales - particularly of food products - to the bloc.

Imports

Brazilian imports declined slightly in September (-2.4%), driven mainly by a drop in capital goods (-29.8%) and intermediate goods (-2.4%).

In the case of capital goods, the economic slowdown caused by high interest rates is reducing investment by the manufacturing sector, the main purchaser of machinery.

2026 year-to-date

From January through September, the trade balance recorded a surplus of USD 62.4 billion.

The period recorded:

• Exports: USD 264.65 billion (+10.4%)
• Imports: USD 222.26 billion (+5%)
• Trade balance: USD 62.4 billion (+34.8%)

Projections

Despite the growth in exports, the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services has revised its 2026 projection downward. The estimated trade surplus has been lowered from USD 90 billion to USD 84.4 billion. Even with this decline, the result would be the second-highest annual figure since the historical series began in 1989. It would be surpassed only by 2023 (USD 98.8 billion).

Suspended since September 3, exports of chicken and honey to the European Union (EU) may resume in the near future  –  a statement made Wednesday (Sep. 30) by European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič during a meeting with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services Márcio Elias Rosa in Milwaukee, US.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers’ meeting. The group comprises the 19 largest economies in the world, plus the European Union and the African Union.

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According to a joint statement from the Ministry of Foreign Relations and the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services, the European representative mentioned the positive outcome of a recent audit conducted in Brazil and stated that, once the bureaucratic procedures are completed, shipments of poultry meat and honey to the bloc’s member countries could resume in the near future.

Technical decision

The final decision on resuming exports will be reviewed by the European Commission’s Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food, and Feed. The technical meeting is scheduled for October 20 and 21.

The Ministry of Agriculture has requested that the audit report be included on the committee’s agenda. In the assessment released this week, the European Commission deemed Brazil’s production system in the poultry and honey sectors satisfactory and concluded that the country meets European requirements regarding the use of antimicrobials.

During the inspection, the auditors verified the Brazilian controls that prevent the use of antimicrobials to stimulate animal growth or increase production yields, among other things.

Beef

The Brazilian government is also seeking an expedited process to resume beef exports. According to the statement released after the meeting, Brazilian representatives expressed the hope that the same treatment given to the poultry and honey sectors could be applied to beef.

The situation, however, involves additional requirements. In the case of beef, proof of sanitary control depends on tracking the animal’s entire life cycle, from birth to slaughter. This can take up to two years, which makes lifting the restriction more complex.

Beef also accounts for a significant portion of Brazilian animal protein exports to the European market.

Suspension of sales

The European Union has removed Brazil from the list of countries deemed to be in compliance with the bloc’s rules regarding the use of certain antimicrobials in livestock production. These substances may be used to treat infections in animals, but European legislation prohibits their use to promote growth.

The suspension of imports took effect on September 3 and applied to products such as beef, pork, and chicken, as well as honey, fish, eggs, and other items of animal origin.

Since then, the Brazilian government has been in negotiations with European authorities to lift the restrictions. The audit conducted this month on the poultry and honey supply chains was regarded as a promising step, but it does not, in and of itself, guarantee the resumption of purchases.

Other products

At the meeting in Milwaukee, Brazilian ministers and the European Commissioner also discussed the European Union’s restrictions on steel imports.

According to the Brazilian government, the bloc is reviewing the allocation of quotas for steel products. The change could open up opportunities for Brazil, even though the process still has additional stages scheduled for 2027.

Data released by the General Register of Employed and Unemployed Persons (CAGED), of Brazil’s Ministry of Labor and Employment, show that 165,827 formal jobs in the private sector were created in August. The indicator measures the difference between hires and layoffs.

The net figure is 183.1 percent higher than in July’s 58,568.

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Job creation rose 7.2 percent compared to August last year, driven by high interest rates and the economic slowdown. In August 2025, 154,683 jobs had been created, as per to seasonally adjusted data, which accounts for late filings by employers.

Compared to August figures since 2020, however, this is the second-lowest result in the series, second only to the same month last year. A change in the survey’s methodology prevents comparison with years prior to 2020.

Year to date

From January through August, the study reports a 25.2 percent decline in the year-to-date total of formal job openings:

•    1,134,033 (first eight months of 2026);
•    1,516,881 (first eight months of 2025).

The data include adjustments made after the Ministry of Labor recorded statements submitted late by employers and revised data from previous months.

Sectors

When broken down by industry, all five sectors surveyed created formal jobs in August.

•    Services: +110,346 jobs;
•    Construction: +20,848;
•    Industry (manufacturing, mining, and other types): +16,613;
•    Retail: +16,565;
•    Agriculture and livestock: +1,452.

August is traditionally a slow month for agriculture and livestock due to the start of the planting season. However, it marks the peak of industrial activity, as factories begin production for the Christmas season.

Highlights

In the services sector, job creation was driven by the education segment, which added 25,416 formal jobs. The human health and social services category added 19,142 jobs. The transportation, warehousing, and mail sector created 16,819 jobs.

In construction, the standout was the specialized construction services segment, which created 8,415 formal jobs. Infrastructure projects came in second, with 7,396 jobs.

In manufacturing, the largest source of jobs was food product manufacturing, with 10,171 openings, followed by the manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers, and vehicle bodies (+3,311) and the manufacture of coke, petroleum products, and biofuels (+2,845).

Regions and States

All five Brazilian regions reported an increase in formal job openings in August.

•    Southeast: +73,167 jobs;
•    Northeast: +59,356;
•    North: +13,603;
•    South: +10,850;
•    Central-West: +8,699.

When broken down by state, 24 recorded a net increase, while three laid off more workers than they hired. The top performers in job creation were São Paulo (+42,533), Rio de Janeiro (+20,886), and Pernambuco (+13,428).

The states that lost formal jobs in August were Rio Grande do Sul (-1,611), Rondônia (-923), and Espírito Santo (-287).

According to the figures, in Espírito Santo, the layoffs stem from the end of the coffee harvest. In Rondônia, they are linked to the food industry. In Rio Grande do Sul, they were concentrated in the tobacco industry and the retail sector.

Average starting salary

The average real starting salary in August totaled BRL 2,410.74. This represents:

•    a decrease of BRL 0.74 (-0.03%) compared to July (R$ 2,411.48);
•    an increase of BRL 24.31 (+1.02%) compared to August 2025 (R$ 2,386.43).

Formal employment

With the creation of formal jobs, the number of workers with formal employment in the private sector stood at 48,244,696 at the end of August, up one percent from July and 1.02% from the same month last year.