During the week of October 19-25, Blask's weekly digest indicates significant shifts in global iGaming demand. Bolivia led the pack with a 21.8% increase, followed closely by Guatemala with 20.8% and Tajikistan with 19.5%. In contrast, Alberta experienced the steepest decline, down by 30.1%, followed by Mali at 24.9% and South Korea at 24.8%. The complete list of top gainers and decliners for the week has been provided.
A month following the betting ban in Brazil, demand for iGaming has plummeted to 96%, according to Blask data. The average for Brazil's Blask Index during this period dropped to 288,000 daily, a stark decrease from the pre-ban average of 7.26 million recorded between September 1 and 24. This earlier average period concluded just before President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva enacted Provisional Measure 1,394, which prohibits fixed-odds betting and online gaming across Brazil.
The decline in demand did not translate into gains for offshore brands, which averaged 288,000 daily—9% below the pre-ban figure of 317,000. Currently, Brazil's Blask Index is matching levels last seen in spring 2019, when it averaged 286,000 per day in April. Prior to the legalization of a regulated market which opens in January 2025, averages never dipped below 5.8 million.
The drop in Brazil's Blask Index unfolded in stages. Following the signing of the measure on September 26, demand surged to 8.05 million. However, by October 1, it had fallen dramatically to 1.3 million, and in the week after the cessation of licensed sites on October 6, the demand for licensed brands averaged 846,000 daily—a decrease of 88% compared to the pre-ban figure of 6.9 million. After October 12, the index reflects only offshore brands.
Demand for offshore brands initially rose but subsequently fell. During the first week without licensed operations, demand surged to 385,000 daily, up 22%, before dropping again below pre-ban levels. Notably, one of the leading offshore brands saw its demand increase 5.3 times from September figures, capturing 29% of all tracked demand in Brazil, while two smaller brands grew approximately fourfold. In contrast, the leading brand among offshore operators before the ban reported a staggering 70% decline.
Before the ban, licensed brands accounted for about 96% of Brazil's Blask Index, with just 4% attributed to offshore options. Now, the licensed segment is non-existent, and remaining offshore brands are left with significantly diminished volume.
Although the ban is currently in effect, it remains temporary. Provisional Measure 1,394 is pending approval from Congress, with the first review set for November 23.
The Blask Index provides a real-time measurement of market demand volume for iGaming brands within a specific country, utilizing normalized search data to gauge interest. The figures do not consider financial metrics such as deposits or revenue, nor do they reflect channels bypassing traditional search methods.
In other news, Colombia scored a 13.3% increase in its Blask Index, marking the largest weekly rise among the 133 nations tracked. El Salvador also made headway with a 7.7% uptick, particularly influenced by the Concacaf Central American Cup matches involving local teams on October 20, which helped boost daily demand.
Colombia's Blask Index peaked at 3.86 million for the week, with the highest daily figure recorded at 775,545 on Sunday, October 25. This included significant action from the Liga BetPlay Clausura matches. Meanwhile, Bolivia's demand slipped 2.3%. Despite the decline, its highest demand day came on October 20 during the Copa Paceña quarterfinals.
Finally, FanDuel has overtaken Bovada in Blask's global Customer Engagement Benchmark (CEB) ranking, marking a historic change after Bovada's two-and-a-half-year dominance. FanDuel's CEB increased by 4.4% over Bovada’s during the period from October 2025 to September 2026.
In the sweepstakes casino sector, despite a general downturn from July to September 2026, Crown Coins has emerged as a leader while many rivals fell back. The market as a whole still surpassed figures from the same quarter in 2025, indicating fluctuations rather than a long-term decline. Crown Coins consolidated its position by expanding its market presence, while LuckyLand Slots faced significant challenges during this period, recording the largest drop in demand due to phased operational shutdowns.
