The Philippines led online gaming-related search demand in September, moving ahead of Brazil and India, according to gaming analytics platform Blask. The shift followed strong growth in Philippine consumer interest alongside a decline in searches in Brazil, which had ranked ahead of the Philippines throughout the opening 8 months of 2026.
The Philippine Blask Index rose 87% year-on-year in September and increased 8% from August. Brazil’s index moves in the opposite direction, declining by 9% month-on-month and 31% compared to the same period last year.
However, the ranking measures interest in online gaming brands, not actual gambling spending. Although the Philippines moved into first place in search demand, Brazil remained the larger market under Blask’s projected revenue measure.
Search Growth Changes Market Rankings
September marked a change in the relative positions of the Philippines and Brazil. The Philippines had trailed the Brazilian market from January through August before taking the lead as its own index increased and Brazil’s declined.
The annual and monthly comparisons show that Philippine search demand grew across both reporting periods. Its 87% year-on-year increase was accompanied by further growth from August, while Brazil recorded declines on both measures.
These movements explain the change in the search ranking without establishing a corresponding change in actual gaming revenue. Blask’s figures place the Philippines ahead in consumer interest, while its separate revenue estimates present a different comparison.
Blask Index Tracks Interest Rather Than Spending
Blask utilizes artificial intelligence and publicly available data to analyze online gaming demand and gaming brands’ performances in over 100 countries. The index calculates the search demand of gaming brands.
That distinction limits what can be concluded from the September ranking. A higher index indicates stronger measured interest in those brands, rather than a directly reported increase in gambling expenditure or gross gaming revenue.
The Philippine result reflects leadership in search demand. It does not mean the country generated more online gaming revenue than Brazil during the month, nor does the index itself measure how much consumers spent.
Brazil Retains Higher Revenue Potential
Brazil’s competitive earning baseline, or CEB, remained 53% higher than the Philippine figure in September. Blask uses CEB as its estimate of potential gaming revenue, separate from its measure of online search interest.
Licensed operators accounted for 97% of Brazil’s projected revenue, compared with 62% in the Philippines. These figures describe the licensed share of projected earnings rather than the share of searches captured by individual brands.
Within the Philippine search market, interest was concentrated among 3 operators. PlayTime, Casino Plus, and BingoPlus together accounted for more than half of online gaming search demand during September, according to Blask.
Brazil Shutdown Timing Shapes September Comparison
The change in rankings coincided with major regulatory developments in Brazil. On September 25, the government issued a provisional measure prohibiting online betting and gaming operations, including platforms previously authorised to operate.
The measure prevented platforms from accepting new deposits and required licensed betting websites and applications to cease operations from October 6.
Blask’s September figures captured the Philippines moving ahead during the initial stages of Brazil’s market closure. Because the operational shutdown deadline fell in October, the September search data did not yet reflect the full impact of that closure on monthly demand.
Source: GGR Asia
