Since 2018, betting companies have operated in a gray area of Brazilian legislation, and their expansion has been marked by a notable presence in the media, becoming one of the largest advertisers in the country.
Around 15% of the Brazilian population has already stated that they bet or have bet online, with an average monthly expenditure of R$263 among bettors.
The growth of this trend is evidenced by the increase in sponsorships for some of the main Brazilian football clubs.
Sponsorship in Brazilian football
Currently, 18 of the 20 teams in Série A of the Brazilian Championship display betting company brands on their uniforms, many of them occupying increasingly prominent spaces, such as master sponsorship.
Earlier this year, both Flamengo and Corinthians, the two most popular clubs in the country, switched their main partners to betting companies. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of teams with brands from this sector in the center of their uniforms increased from 11 to 14.
In 2018, only one bookmaker was among the top 300 advertisers in Brazil. In 2022, there were already 12, including companies in the top fifty on the list.
Sportingbet, for example, invested more than R$200 million and occupies 49th position on the general list.
Recently, Corinthians signed a three-year, R$370 million contract with VaideBet. Furthermore, Flamengo will receive up to R$225 million in two years from Pixbet, surpassing BRB.
São Paulo, already sponsored by Sportsbet.io, closed a new agreement with Superbet, investing R$156 million over three years, in a change made official on December 19th.
This resulted in the proliferation of betting advertisements on free-to-air TV, especially during football games, and on social media.
Betting companies expand partnerships in football
However, it is worth noting that the involvement of betting companies extends across the entire football universe. In addition to sponsorship on club shirts, former players take on the role of ambassadors for these brands, and marketing actions involving famous influencers gain prominence.
Competitions such as the Copa do Brasil and Série B also adopt the practice of selling naming rights to companies in the sector, and brands can be seen on advertising boards spread across fields throughout Brazil.
