Brazil and Real Madrid forward Endrick has revealed he turned down an offer worth more than BR10m to promote a betting operator, according to a local news outlet.
The footballer said he did not want to encourage gambling among the millions of young people who follow his career.
Speaking about the decision, he said the financial value of the proposal was outweighed by the responsibility he feels as a role model for younger audiences.
“I’m a 19-year-old, and I know many other young people follow me and look up to me. I don’t want to be responsible for ruining someone’s life,” Endrick said.
The striker’s comments quickly gained traction across Brazilian social media, where many praised his decision to reject the endorsement despite its value. Others argued that gambling remains a matter of personal responsibility and that licensed operators are permitted to advertise under Brazil’s regulated betting framework.
Regardless of the divided reaction, the timing of Endrick’s statement is significant.
Betting sponsorships have become deeply embedded across Brazilian football, with operators appearing on club shirts, stadium advertising boards and television broadcasts, while many of the country’s biggest football stars have signed with licensed brands.
Recently, lawmaker Pedro Uczai, leader of the Workers' Party in the Chamber of Deputies, renewed calls for stricter advertising rules, warning that the World Cup should not become a platform for expanding betting’s reach into Brazilian households.
Meanwhile, Brazil’s Ministry of Finance has signalled that additional restrictions on betting advertising could be introduced in the coming weeks, while both consumer authorities and regulators continue investigating promotional campaigns aired during World Cup coverage.
Brazil’s regulator, the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA), has intensified its responsible advertising and consumer protection efforts ahead of the World Cup
