Brazil's Blask Index has recorded a sharp decline of 20.1% for the week following President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's ban on fixed-odds sports betting and online gambling. Meanwhile, Finland's market experienced an unexpected downturn, dropping 37% after having previously risen by 29.3% in Eurojackpot the prior week, despite the jackpot pool nearing €80 million. In contrast, Uzbekistan continues to show impressive growth with a 52.9% increase after the Super League's 22nd matchday, which featured eight matches and a total of 25 goals scored.
Among the week's top gainers, Uzbekistan leads at +52.9%. The conclusion of matchday 22 in the Uzbekistan Super League on September 22 saw Navbahor defeat Dinamo 3-2 and Nasaf triumph over Andijon 4-1, positioning both teams well with total points at 51. Laos follows closely with a 47% increase, buoyed by a two-day crackdown by the Ministry of Public Security in the Sisattanak District, where 33 Chinese individuals were arrested for online gambling-related offenses. Lithuania came next with a gain of 19.9% after its UEFA Nations League match, achieving a 2-0 away victory against Liechtenstein and a 1-1 draw with Azerbaijan on September 27 in Kaunas, where Armandas Kučys scored from the penalty spot early in the match.
AU-Victoria recorded a 16% increase, highlighted by the AFL Grand Final on September 26, where Brisbane beat Fremantle in front of 100,023 attendees. Vietnam wrapped up the top five gainers with an 8.8% rise, as Công an Hà Nội secured a 3-0 victory over Đồng Nai on September 21.
Conversely, Finland led the decliners with a notable drop of 37%. Despite a successful rise in the previous week and a Eurojackpot increase from approximately €48 million to around €59 million, the highest prize of €68.2 million remained unclaimed midweek. Haiti's index fell by 34.1% despite their national team's victories against Trinidad & Tobago and Costa Rica, both of which occurred within the week. Italy, facing a 30.1% dip, lost to Belgium 2-0 during an international break while about 47,000 fans were present. The weekend witnessed SuperEnalotto's jackpot still unclaimed, hovering at around €32-33 million. Nigeria's index declined by 29.8% despite the Super Eagles defeating Madagascar 2-1, while Ghana experienced a 29.7% fall after their 2-0 loss to Côte d'Ivoire on September 24.
In Brazil, the significant drop of 20.1% in the Blask Index was attributed to President Lula da Silva's recent decree prohibiting fixed-odds sports betting and online gambling. As a result, any form of offering or advertising related to these activities has been halted, leaving only legal lottery operations unaffected. Following the announcement, all deposits related to online gambling have been blocked, while withdrawals remain possible until 5 October at 23:59. Starting 6 October, the websites and applications related to these platforms will cease to function entirely. Interestingly, Brazil's Blask Index reported a substantial increase of 41.45% just a day after the announcement, signaling a complex response from the market.
