Trends in Gambling-Related Primary Care Encounters in Brazil, 2014-2025

Gambling-related primary health care encounters in Brazil rose markedly from 2014–2025, accelerating after 2022, reaching 1.46 per 100,000 for pathological gambling and 0.60 for gambling and betting by 2025.

• Why it matters: Nationwide, time-trend evidence on how gambling harms are reflected in health care use is limited, especially in low- and middle-income settings, hindering surveillance and planning for mental health services.
• What they did: Using Brazil’s Unified Health System administrative records from 2014–2025, the study analyzed primary care encounters coded as pathological gambling (ICD-10 F63.0) and gambling and betting (Z72.6), estimating annual encounter rates per 100,000 and assessing temporal, seasonal, geographic, and demographic patterns.
• The result: Encounter rates increased across all five regions, with highest levels in the South and Southeast, showed seasonal variation with higher indices generally between April and October, and were elevated across age groups and both sexes, especially ages 20–39.

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