Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies has taken a step toward reshaping how image rights are distributed in sports betting by approving a report that guarantees that athletes receive at least 50% of the amounts paid by betting operators for the use of their name and image.
The document was produced by the Permanent Subcommittee on Sports Betting Regulation within the Sports Committee.
According to the report, the initiative seeks to address a regulatory gap that has prevented athletes from effectively accessing compensation linked to betting-related commercial exploitation.
While existing legislation establishes the allocation of betting revenues to sports, it does not clearly define how image-rights payments should be distributed among those directly involved in the competitions.
Under the proposed model, payments would not pass through clubs, leagues or federations. Instead, betting operators would transfer the funds directly to players’ unions, which would be responsible for distributing the amounts to eligible athletes.
The distribution would be proportional to each athlete’s participation in the event covered by the betting activity.
The report is the result of months of public hearings and technical discussions examining the economic and social impacts of betting, as well as issues related to integrity, match manipulation and public health.
Lawmakers argue that the absence of clear rules has disproportionately affected athletes in lower-income brackets, who are considered more vulnerable to financial pressure and illicit approaches.
The proposal comes at a time when betting sponsorships in Brazilian football are showing signs of contraction, with fewer top-tier clubs displaying operators as main shirt sponsors for the 2026 season.
Brazil’s Ministry of Sport has signed an integrity cooperation agreement with the National Association of Games and Lotteries to strengthen oversight and prevent match-fixing in the betting sector
