Last Wednesday (18), Botafogo and Cruzeiro requested the Federal Supreme Court (STF) to be included as friends of the court in the action regarding fixed-odd bets.
The clubs highlight the vital importance of sponsoring these bets for the maintenance of their football teams, arguing that these partnerships have become essential for sporting success.
Importance of sponsorships
The clubs seek to participate in oral arguments during the trial of Direct Action of Unconstitutionality (ADI) 7,721, proposed by the National Confederation of Commerce in Goods, Services and Tourism (CNC). The action aims to suspend and declare Law 14,790/2023, also known as the Bets Law, unconstitutional.
Therefore, Botafogo and Cruzeiro argue that the sponsorship of bookmakers brought a significant “injection of capital”, reflected in sporting results. Since 2019, Brazilian teams have dominated five of the six Copa Libertadores finals, a fact that the clubs directly attribute to the financial support of bets.
In November, 30 clubs sent a manifesto to the STF. In this document, they reveal that 70% of Brazilian football’s elite teams already have sponsorship from bookmakers.
Furthermore, this investment has increased significantly. The values went from R$333 million in 2023 to R$630 million in 2024. These numbers were mentioned by lawyers from the law firm Almeida Castro, Castro e Turbay.
“Cruzeiro and Botafogo are part of the extensive list of teams that currently have fixed-odd betting houses as their master sponsor, an amount that has become indispensable for maintaining the clubs’ structure and results”, say the lawyers representing the teams.
Legal relevance and economic impact
The clubs argue that their inclusion in the case would add essential information about the consequences of court decisions. Such participation would help better protect fundamental rights during constitutional interpretation.
However, until now, Minister Luiz Fux, rapporteur of the case, has not accepted the requests to join as amicus curiae. He, however, signaled that the judgment on the merits should take place in the first half of 2025.
In addition to the actions filed by the CNC, the Solidariedade party and the Federal Attorney General’s Office (PGR) also filed petitions against the Bets Law. Each of these actions highlights the potential economic and social risks generated by the regulation of fixed-odds betting.
The issue is still under debate, with the clubs awaiting a favorable decision that will enable them to participate in defending the interests shared by numerous sports teams.
