Brazil’s Government has acknowledged the financial impact of its betting ban on football clubs.
Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency Guilherme Boulos said officials are discussing potential measures to address the loss of sponsorship revenue. Boulos had a meeting in São Paulo with representatives of 35 organized football fan groups from across the country and received a document outlining their demands and pledged to establish a permanent working group within the Federal Government to improve dialogue with the organizations and develop measures affecting supporters.
The impact of the betting ban on football financing has been strongly outlined by the nation’s football industry and is expected to feature in the group’s discussions.
Boulos acknowledged that betting companies had sponsored a substantial proportion of clubs in Brazil’s Série A and Série B, arguing that their presence had also inflated sponsorship values.
The Government provisionally ended regulated online betting operations in September on public health grounds, but Boulos said officials recognised that the decision had created a financial challenge for clubs that relied on the sector’s sponsorship money. He stressed, however, that it was too early to commit to any specific measure.
The meeting also addressed stadium security, safety during supporters’ travel to matches and the role of organised fan groups in public life. Some representatives criticized what they described as a lack of attention from the Government.
The National Association of Organised Supporters (Anatorg), which submitted the document to Boulos, has also called for a Government agenda focused on recognising fan groups, encouraging social participation, preventing violence and protecting supporters’ rights.
The working group is expected to be established within the General Secretariat in the coming weeks, with participation from the Sports, Justice and Culture ministries
