In 2025, bookmakers are, by far, the segment that invests the most in Brazilian football. In this year’s Série A of the Brazilian Championship, all clubs are sponsored by the sector, with 90% of them in the main space, with greater prominence on the uniform.
“Until recently, only the public sector, banks and public companies showed interest, which had a much more institutional than commercial bias in sponsoring sports. And now a private segment, the betting sector, is reemerging, showing great interest in making this type of contribution,” explained José Francisco Manssur, partner at CSMV.
Currently, only Mirassol and Bragantino do not have a company in the sector in the center of their shirts, but they are linked to 7K and Betfast, respectively. Four companies have master sponsorship contracts with two clubs each in the Brasileirão: Alfa works with rivals Grêmio and Internacional, Betfair is represented by Cruzeiro and Vasco, Esportes da Sorte is represented by Ceará and Corinthians. In addition, Superbet appears on the shirts of Fluminense and São Paulo.
“Studies conducted by specialized consultancies confirm that Brazil already occupies the position of third largest global sports betting market. In terms of maturity and market size, European countries still lead, although Brazil is expanding rapidly,” commented Leonardo Henrique Roscoe Bessa, partner at Betlaw, a law firm dedicated to the betting market.
Regulation of bookmakers drives market growth in the Brazilian Championship
Already consolidated in other highly regulated markets, foreign betting conglomerates are still the main sponsors of Brazilian football.
“The proximity of the fans to the club can be a way of bringing bettors closer to awareness campaigns”, said psychologist Rafael Ávila, founder of the Association for the Protection and Support of Players.
“If well constructed (sponsorship), it can represent exponential gains and image that corroborate the investment. The consolidation of the brand depends on this construction and has different aspects, depending on the regions and cultural, social and purely passionate interests. It is the “intangible” reach of the investment”, stated Sofia Aldin, marketing director of Esportes da Sorte.
Beyond the Brazilian Championship
According to Globo Esporte, which conducted a survey of betting house sponsorships for the 96 clubs in the top divisions of the European market, based on data from the company GlobalData, the segment’s operations vary depending on the country. Betting houses are present in Germany, Spain, France, England and Italy. Check it out:
Premier League: bookmakers for all clubs
Thus, 11 of the 20 members of the English Championship — the richest league in the world, with annual revenues of over R$46.5 billion — have a betting company as their main sponsor, with a prominent presence on their uniforms. This percentage of 55% in the master position is the highest since 2019/20. All Premier League clubs have some partnership with a betting company.
Germany
In the Bundesliga, only Wolfsburg does not have any type of sponsorship with a betting company. All the others have some kind of partnership in this sector, with Stuttgart being the only one with a company in the sector as its main sponsor, Winamax.
The online betting market was regulated in Germany in 2021. Only companies that receive a license and comply with special requirements for preventing manipulation and protecting people can sponsor football there.
Italy
Of the 20 clubs in the Italian Championship, 17 have a contract in force with a betting company, according to data from GlobalData. The exceptions are Roma, Monza and Venezia.
This scenario may soon change because the Italian Senate is considering reviewing a 2018 decree, which came into effect in July 2019 and banned betting sponsorship of clubs in the national market. They can still enter into partnerships with these houses, but without advertising in the country.
France
Clubs in the French Championship can form partnerships with sports betting companies on their shirts, sleeves and shorts, as well as on stadium signs. Currently, 12 of the 18 clubs are in this situation, with two of them, Le Havre and Strasbourg, having master sponsorship from Winamax. However, Strasbourg does not display the bet in the center of its home uniform.
Legislation in Spain is strict with bookmakers
Spain has strict legislation in force since 2020 (called the Garzón Law) for this sector. Clubs are prohibited from signing advertising contracts on their uniforms, stadium names and competitions. This explains why none of them have a bookmaker as a main sponsor.
However, clubs do form partnerships with brands in the sector. Real Madrid is the “champion” in sponsorships of this type, with five in total. Companies not only target the Spanish market, but also those in China and Africa.
SportyBet, for example, covers Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda. Seven other clubs have partnerships with SportyBet: Atlético de Madrid, Girona, Celta de Vigo, Betis, Mallorca, Sevilla and Las Palmas.
