Government wants to establish partnerships between bookmakers and clubs, CBF and conferences
Photo: Lucas Mercon/Fluminense FC

Last Tuesday, 30th, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security contacted 40 soccer teams in Brazil, 13 federations and Grupo Globo due to sponsorship agreements closed with bookmakers. The notified parties will have a period of ten days to forward the contracts to the federal government.

The list includes the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the organizations responsible for organizing the championships of Paranaense, Paulista, Carioca, Goiano, Sul Matogrossense, Alagoano, Baiano, Cearense, Paraibano, Pernambucano, Potiguar and Sergipano. Regarding the clubs, all the participants of the first two divisions of the Brasileirão were mentioned.

The Serie A teams are América-MG, Athletico-PR, Atlético-GO, Atlético-MG, Avai, Botafogo, Red Bull Bragantino, Ceará, Corinthians, Coritiba, Cuiabá, Flamengo, Fluminense, Fortaleza, Goiás, Internacional, Juventude, Palmeiras, Santos and São Paulo. While in Serie B are Bahia, Brusque, Chapecoense, CRB, Criciúma, Cruzeiro, CSA, Guarani, Grêmio, Novorizontino, Ituano, Londrina, Náutico, Operário, Ponte Preta, Sampaio Corrêa, Sport, Vasco, Vila Nova and Tombense.

The action came from the National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon), aiming to determine which groups have signed partnerships with teams, most of which are based abroad. Fixed odds betting is not yet regulated in Brazil. According to Exame, the practice received that name because the consumer already knows how much he can win in case of victory, from a multiplier (the fixed-rate) of the amount bet.

Sports betting market should move from R$12 to R$15 billion in Brazil by the end of 2022

Due to the large number of sponsorships announced in recent years, Senacon believes that the practice may be carried out without proper authorization and without any control, supervision or accountability. According to a study by gambling consultancy H2 Gambling Capital, the betting industry should move from R$12 to R$15 billion in Brazil by the end of this year.

However, it should be noted that fixed-odds bets were created from law 13,756, enacted in 2018 by then president Michel Temer. The law also defined a period of four years for the activity to be regulated in the country, a period that ends in December this year. At the moment, the sports betting industry awaits the regulation, which has not yet been sanctioned by President Jair Bolsonaro (PL).