In Série A, Bahia is the only one not on this list. Palmeiras became part of this group as of this season, with the arrival of Sportingbet, but it also had a bet on its women's uniform last year.
Adding up all the amounts that have already been disclosed in the press with the agreements, this total comes to around R$1 billion (US$ 164m), and the aggregate could be even higher depending on the goals that will be achieved by each club. Palmeiras, Flamengo and Corinthians alone are responsible for more than R$300 million (us$49.3M)
In Série B, of the 20 clubs, eight do not have sponsorship from betting companies. Amazonas did not renew its contract with Reals, which was on its uniform last year, while América-MG did not continue with EstrelaBet and has just announced MG Games as its new master sponsor. Athletico-PR was a partner of Esportes da Sorte, but broke off the agreement in October 2024. Avaí, Athletic, CRB and Cuiabá are the other four teams in the Second Division that are not involved in betting.
José Francisco Manssur is a partner at CSMV Advogados and served as a special advisor to the Executive Secretariat of the Ministry of Finance in 2023. He explains that there is no other sector with so much money available for football.
"There is no other segment with the capacity and interest in investing sponsorship resources in sports that even comes close to betting companies," he explained.
Raphael Paçó Barbieri, a specialist in sports law and partner at CCLA Advogados, follows a similar line of thought and adds that the regulation from 2025 onwards will make sponsors more controlled.
"The space that betting plays in sports sponsorships plays a fundamental role in the clubs' revenues, and with the regulation, the tendency is for this market to become even more segmented, serious and transparent in its relationship with all parties involved, creating an environment that is even more conducive to these investments", he added.
"The owners of betting houses also see football as the perfect opportunity to combine exposure directly with the business. Many of them understand that this large injection of money helps with the high amounts that are being moved in this window".
"The positive impact that sports betting companies have had on the national and international football scene is clear. In Brazil, for example, club investments have increased, the level of signings is higher, and all of this is reflected on the field and in the relationship with fans. In Europe, the movement is even more traditional than here, as many countries have been regulated for longer. Football is also strong there because of betting," highlights Vinicius Nogueira, CEO of BETesporte, a company that sponsors rivals Vila Nova and Goiás.
"We are extremely proud to contribute to the development of the country's biggest sport and we seek to increasingly strengthen Brazilian football. We are happy to occupy this prominent place and we want our brand to grow along with the teams we support," said Talita Lacerda, CEO of 7k, Sponsor of Vitória and Mirassol.
"It's a natural movement in football all over the world. Fans are used to having fun with sports betting, and companies naturally get closer to their audience through their passion. In Brazil, it's the same; betting has driven the growth of Brazilian football and we at Reals are proud of our partnership with Coritiba, which has now been renewed for 2025. We want to carry out many actions to bring fans even closer to the club and the brand," says Rafael Borges, Country Manager of Reals, the company that occupies the master space at Coritiba, the largest in the club's history.
In Europe, betting houses are also very present, with some specific restrictions, such as in the case of the Premier League, which will bar sponsors of this type from mid-2026.
In August of this year, bet365 signed a sponsorship agreement for the Champions League, becoming the first company in the sector to sponsor the competition. The UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League have also entered into a partnership with the same segment, but with Kaizen Gaming, which owns the Betano and Stoiximan brands and already sponsors local championships in Greece and Cyprus. Betano was the global sponsor of Euro 2024.
Source: UOL
