Brazil betting ban puts BRL1 billion in football sponsorships at risk, CBF says
Brazil’s football clubs and sports organisations warned the country’s betting ban could remove a major source of funding from the sporting sector, with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) projecting a BRL420 million ($76.5 million) revenue loss in 2027.
The CBF’s figure relates to the loss of revenue in naming rights for its competitions, with Betano the sponsor of the top-tier league, while Superbet sponsors the second tier.
The financial impact on sports was a central theme of a public hearing at the Supreme Federal Court (STF) on Tuesday, where 34 entities presented arguments about Provisional Measure 1.394, which prohibited betting in Brazil.
According to Igor Mauler Santiago, a lawyer representing the CBF, 27 of the 40 clubs competing in the country’s top two football leagues had betting companies as their main sponsors. Those agreements were worth a combined BRL1 billion, equivalent to 35% of the clubs’ total sponsorship revenue.
Santiago said the impact extended beyond shirt sponsorships, pointing to the contribution of betting companies to the value of television rights and other advertising properties, including pitchside boards.
“CBF trusts that the three branches of government will be able to reach an appropriate and reasonable solution, balancing the important issues of health, legal security, and economic and sporting development,” he told the hearing.
Clubs highlight dependence on betting sponsorship revenue
Individual clubs outlined the scale of their exposure. Flamengo estimated it could lose approximately BRL430 million in annual revenue from its Betano master sponsorship as well as broadcasting rights.
Flamengo Vice President Flávio de Araújo Willeman said the club had entered into sponsorship agreements based on the regulatory framework established by the government.
“It was on this basis that Flamengo entered into contracts with betting companies that displayed sponsorships on the jerseys,” he said. “It was on this basis that Flamengo planned its financial structure for the years following the signing of the contracts.”
Willeman argued the government should address the sector’s problems through regulation rather than prohibition, saying: “If there are problems with betting, let’s not choose the easiest way out, which is its total repeal. Let’s confront the problem with more effective regulation to curb the harmful effects.”
Fluminense president Mattheus Reis e Montenegro said betting sponsorships accounted for 34% of the club’s revenue in 2025. He also estimated smaller clubs in Rio de Janeiro could face a 50% reduction in revenue, taking into account their dependence on betting sponsorships and broadcasting income from the Campeonato Carioca, the state championship.
“The Provisional Measure directly affects two of these revenues,” Montenegro said, referring to sponsorship and pitchside advertising, as well as broadcasting rights. “It eliminates the main sources of income for football.”
Betting deals underpin clubs’ financial stability
Botafogo described its agreement with Vbet, signed in November 2025, as the largest sponsorship contract in the club’s history. The deal also supported its youth academy and women’s football.
The club’s representative, Bichara Abidão Neto, said the effects of the measure needed to be suspended urgently.
Cruzeiro said its betting sponsorship was equivalent to four or five payrolls. Representing the club, José Francisco Manssur said: “I believe that the solution to the problems caused by addiction and indebtedness lies in regulation and oversight, not in prohibition.”
Vitória reported that betting sponsorship and pitchside advertising represented almost 17% of its annual revenue of BRL290 million.
São Paulo reported approximately BRL101 million in revenue from main sponsorship and advertising linked to the betting sector between January and September. The club also highlighted that its main sponsorship agreement with Superbet runs until 2030.
Betting ban threatens wider sporting ecosystem
The potential consequences extend beyond professional football. The Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) estimated that transfers linked to betting would amount to BRL130 million in 2027, representing around 20% of its budget.
When other sports organisations that benefit from the funds are included, the estimated total rises to BRL325 million.
COB representative Pedro Henrique Rebelo de Mendonça warned that reduced funding could force the organisation and affiliated confederations to adjust or cancel planned projects.
“Any reduction in revenue implies readjustment or cancellation of planned projects,” he said. “If the COB has fewer resources at its disposal, there is potentially less availability for the confederations of various sports.”
The Brazilian Paralympic Committee also argued that betting-related resources had supported the growth of Paralympic sport and the inclusion of people with disabilities. Its president, Mizael Conrado, said the funds had been “fundamental” to the sector’s development.
The National Federation of Professional Athletes (Fenapaf) warned the loss of funding could lead to unemployment and leave athletes more exposed to approaches aimed at manipulating sporting results.
The clubs’ arguments were also tied to legal certainty. Representatives highlighted that they had signed contracts and planned budgets under a framework established by the government, after betting companies had received authorisation to operate.
The hearing was convened by Minister Luiz Fux as part of the Supreme Court’s examination of Provisional Measure 1.394. The measure is being challenged by ANJL, which has asked the court to suspend its effects.
Fux is expected to define the next steps in the case. No decision on the future of the ban was announced at the hearing.