Former Flamengo VP proposes two-year gambling ad ban transition

Brazilian Congressman and former Flamengo Vice President Marcos Braz has submitted six amendments to the provisional measure banning betting, including a proposal to give football clubs up to two years to transition away from betting sponsorships. 

The proposed transition would allow betting brands to remain on club shirts and in stadiums while sporting organizations adapt to the loss of sponsorship revenue. If a two-year period is not accepted, Braz proposes allowing the advertising to continue until the end of the current season. 

In his justification, Braz argues that football depends on sponsorship investment for its financial stability and the continuation of its activities. The Government's provisional measure currently requires existing betting advertising materials to be removed within 10 days of its publication. 

Braz has also proposed amendments that would prohibit online casinos and bets on isolated events or individual moments during sporting matches, including yellow cards, fouls and penalties. Another proposal would prevent beneficiaries of social programs from betting and direct 20% of betting revenue towards the National Health Fund. 

Flamengo was among the clubs that signed a joint statement defending Brazil’s regulated betting market, warning that banning it would mean “the end of Brazilian football”. The club also has a major commercial relationship with the sector, with its main sponsorship deal with Betano worth approximately BR268.5m per season and running through December 2028. 

Flamengo president Luiz Eduardo Baptista has said the ban would affect the club’s wage bill and Olympic sports funded through betting-linked tax incentives. He estimates Brazilian football could lose BR2.5bn overall, while Flamengo’s own losses could exceed BR400m. 

Baptista has also said that without betting sponsorship revenue, the club would not have been able to afford the salary of one of its biggest footballers.