The request was sent to the clubs on the 1st, establishing a 15-day deadline for a response, which ended on Wednesday (16). On the morning of this Thursday (17), the Public Defender's Office informed Agência Brasil that there was no response and that the institution will reiterate the request, awaiting the official letters from Flamengo, Vasco, Fluminense and Botafogo.
The request was made by the Childhood and Youth Coordination (CoInfância) and the Consumer Defense Center (Nudecon) of the DPRJ.
Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama have 'Bets' - as the operators are called in Brazil - as their master sponsorship (main display on the uniform, on the front of the shirt), a segment that is under great scrutiny in the country, due to the amount of resources that are draining the economy and behavioral impacts on bettors.
The document signed by defenders Rodrigo Azambuja Martins and Thiago Henrique Cunha Basílio cites laws 8.069/90 and 8.078/90 and resolution 163 of the National Council for the Rights of Children and Adolescents (Conanda), which regulate the advertising of articles intended for consumption and use by children and adolescents.
Furthermore, it presents Ordinance 1,231, of July 31, 2024, from the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting, an agency of the Ministry of Finance. Article 17 states that “in the event of sponsorship by a betting agent, its logo must not be included in articles and goods whose sale is intended for minors under 18 years of age.”
According to the Public Defender's Office, the initiative to notify the clubs came about after the institution received complaints that the names of betting houses that sponsor the clubs were printed on shirts and children's items.
In the letter, the Public Defender's Office “requests and recommends” that the clubs refrain from marketing products with the name of the betting house and that there be no such advertising in youth team competitions that include athletes under 18 years of age.
'Bets'
In recent months, the activities of 'Bets' have faced public scrutiny due to the effects on the economy and families.
A survey by the Locomotiva Institute estimated that 25 million people started placing sports bets on electronic platforms in the first seven months of 2024. In five years, the number reached 52 million.
Another study, linked to the multinational auditing and consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, indicated that sports betting compromises the family budget of classes D and E, negatively impacting the consumption of goods and services.
The betting market has managed to drain part of the resources from social programs. According to the Central Bank (BC), Bolsa Família beneficiaries spent R$3 billion (US$ 531m) on 'Bets' via Pix in August.
The government has taken measures to regulate the sector, for example, by taking down illegal betting sites. The Ministry of Finance established a ban on the use of credit cards to pay for bets.
This Thursday, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated that he may end the 'Bets' market if regulation is not sufficient to ensure the mental and financial health of the population.
Clubs
Agência Brasil contacted the clubs regarding the request from the Public Defender's Office. Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas reported that the issue should be clarified with Sociedade Anônima do Futebol (SAF) Botafogo, the club's football management company. The other clubs did not respond to a request for comment.
The Public Defender's Office informed Agência Brasil that the official letters were sent to the clubs and that “it is up to them, when necessary, to forward them to the SAF.” Vasco da Gama is another club whose football management is carried out by a SAF company.
Source: Agência Brasil
