The Game Is Heating Up: Clubs File Suit in the STF Against the Ban on Bets

Today, pressure from Brazilian football clubs has increased! A new group formed a line at the Federal Supreme Court (STF) with a request to participate in the actions aimed at overturning the ban on sports betting in the country.

Who’s in the Game?

The team of the moment includes Fluminense, Cruzeiro, and more 14 clubs, which include:

• Chapecoense
• Mirassol
• Avaí
• Athletic
• Atlético-GO
• América-MG
• Ceará
• CRB
• Criciúma
• Goiás
• Juventude
• Novorizontino
• Vila Nova

Among them, four are in Série A and twelve in Série B of the Campeonato Brasileiro. This diversity is intended to make them “friends of the court” (amicus curiae) in the cases already before the minister Luiz Fux.

What the Executives Say

In the most recent petition, the clubs presented several important arguments:

• In 2023, the State has already regulated the sector, and that included authorization for football club sponsorship.
• They argue that there was a misuse of purpose in using a Provisional Measure to suspend the effectiveness of the regulatory framework established.
• The betting ban could not have been carried out without a transitional regime, since the sponsorship contracts had been approved by the state administration itself.
• In addition to sponsoring uniforms, the revenues generated by betting are crucial for helping other sources of income for football, such as broadcasting rights, stadium advertising, and competition naming rights.

The clubs emphasized that the abrupt elimination of this activity hits the revenues that sustain not only professional football, but also the youth categories, women’s football, and all Olympic sports.

What Happened Before?

It’s worth remembering that Flamengo was already accepted this week as part of the case. And it didn’t stop there! Yesterday, another group of clubs, which includes São Paulo, Vitória, Guarani, Ponte Preta and Portuguesa, also made a strong move to unite in this cause.

The game is heating up, and we’ll keep an eye on the next chapters of this fight for freedom in sports betting in Brazil!