Barra Mansa Futebol Clube reported, this Friday, that it sent a formal request to the Ministry of Sports to remove its matches from sports betting houses.
The document was forwarded to the National Secretariat for Sports Betting for the Economic Development of Sport (SNAEDE). Currently, the club competes in Series C of the Campeonato Carioca, corresponding to the fifth state division in 2026.
According to the statement, the club identified misuse of its brand, name and other institutional elements by companies in the sector. Furthermore, the board highlighted that it did not authorize any type of exploitation involving its matches. Therefore, Barra Mansa questioned the presence of games on these platforms.
Why Barra Mansa wants to leave the betting shops
In its official position, the club stated that the competitions it competes in are not linked to bookmakers. In other words, there is no sponsorship, financial incentive or any commercial relationship.
Therefore, the inclusion of games on these platforms, according to the board, is not justified.
Below, the club details the decision in an official note:
Barra Mansa Futebol Clube informs that it has sent a formal request to the National Secretariat for Sports Betting for the Economic Development of Sport (SNAEDE) so that none of its matches are included on sports betting platforms.
The measure was adopted after the identification of misuse of the club’s brand, name and other institutional elements by companies in the sector, without any type of authorization.
The club emphasizes that the competitions in which it participates do not have any incentive, sponsorship or link with bookmakers, and there is no justification for the inclusion of its matches on these platforms. Furthermore, such exposure does not generate any direct benefit to the club, on the contrary, it can harm its image, its athletes and professionals.
The letter also requested the immediate withdrawal of any existing link, as well as the adoption of measures with operators to prevent new occurrences.
Barra Mansa FC reinforces its commitment to ethics, transparency and sporting integrity. It also highlights that the request made does not, in itself, guarantee compliance by the platforms, but represents a necessary institutional measure to protect their rights and image.
Furthermore, the club reinforces that exposure on betting platforms can generate negative impacts. In this sense, the board assesses that the measure protects athletes and professionals involved. Thus, the request seeks to preserve the institutional image in the face of unauthorized uses.
Formal request and institutional positioning
The document also called for the immediate withdrawal of any existing association. At the same time, the club asked operators to take action to avoid new undue registrations.
Despite the request, Barra Mansa acknowledged that there is no guarantee of automatic compliance by the platforms. Still, he considered the initiative necessary to protect his rights. So far, the Ministry of Sports has not commented on the case.
Recent history of suspicions involving betting
The request comes after recent episodes involving suspected manipulation. In 2025, Barra Mansa was investigated for possible changes in results. As a consequence, the club ended up relegated to the fifth division following a decision by the Football Federation of the State of Rio de Janeiro (FFERJ).
On that occasion, the entity removed the team from Series B2 of the Carioca Championship. The measure occurred after suspicions in a match against Paraty, which ended 2-1.
According to the federation, there was “clear and overwhelming evidence that the course or result of the match was illegally altered or falsified with the aim of obtaining illicit financial gains”.
Subsequently, in February 2026, a club manager received punishment from the Rio de Janeiro Court of Sports Justice. He was suspended for 360 days and fined R$50,000 for his involvement in the case.
Previous cases reinforce the club’s history
In addition to the recent episode, the club has been involved in a similar situation previously. In 2017, during the second state division dispute, an accusation of result manipulation emerged.
According to investigations, a manager brought together players to propose a combined score. The proposal predicted defeat by four goals difference. However, the athletes refused the offer and drew 1-1 with Audax, in Carioca’s Série B1.
After the investigation, the Rio de Janeiro Sports Justice Court punished two managers. Both received a fine of 70 thousand reais and were eliminated from football. The investigations began after the release of a report about the case.
