At Flamengo’s match against Santos on Thursday, the leaders of Brazil’s top division turned the shirt front into a protest against the federal ban on online sports betting. Where the Rio de Janeiro club usually displays the name of its betting sponsor, the players wore a different message: “Banning is not protecting.”
The news from the club
The same slogan appeared on the advertising boards around the pitch, underlining Flamengo’s public objection to the measure introduced by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The restriction was imposed two weeks ago, shortly before the first round of the presidential election, with Lula seeking re-election. Flamengo are not alone among first-division clubs in warning against the consequences of the policy. A large number of Brazilian teams rely on commercial agreements with betting companies and have argued that removing that income will damage their finances.
Lula has played down those concerns. The president has pointed to Brazilian football’s celebrated past before the arrival of modern betting sponsorship and has linked online wagering to growing gambling addiction and household debt.
A 60-day political window
The presidential decree will remain in force for 60 days before it must go to Congress for a vote. That leaves clubs, sponsors and the wider Brazilian football economy facing a short and politically charged period in which the future of betting partnerships will be decided.
