Brazilian Football Clubs Speak Out in Defense of Gambling Sponsors

Flamengo, Atlético Mineiro, and Grêmio have published a manifesto warning that a sharp tightening of restrictions on the legal iGaming market could deprive clubs of funding for player salaries, training grounds, programmes for youngsters, and women’s football.

The End of Brazilian Football

Brazilian clubs stress that sponsorship deals with licensed operators have become an important source of revenue. They say removing or severely restricting this funding could have wider repercussions for the country’s most popular sport.

The manifesto claims that new restrictions will push players to rogue operators that don’t pay taxes, have fewer wagering limits, offer little to no responsible gaming tools, and operate without oversight from Brazilian authorities.

Palmeiras, Santos, São Paulo, Botafogo, Cruzeiro, as well as the football associations of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, have also supported the joint statement.

A draft government decree has reportedly already been prepared and could be published soon. At the same time, officials are considering a softer approach that would restrict only certain types of games rather than impose a blanket ban.

Football Won't Survive Without Betting

What is known so far is that Flamengo has a $158 million contract with Betano, Atlético Mineiro has a $32 million contract with H2Bet, and Grêmio was forced to terminate a $10 million contract with Alfa–Bet.

São Paulo’s Superbet contract is worth €18.20 million. Palmeiras' Sportingbet deal is estimated at €16.10 million per year. Botafogo earns €8.86 million from VBET. Cruzeiro makes €6.92 million with Betnacional.

Blaze became a sponsor of Santos in April 2023 thanks to Neymar, who helped seal the deal as the platform’s emissary.

The magnitude of these agreements indicates why casino sponsorships matter financially to Brazilian football. If the market is restricted and such contracts disappear, clubs could be left with pitch-wide revenue shortfalls.