Several Brazilian football clubs recently issued a joint statement expressing their concerns about the gambling advertising replacement bill proposed by Senator Carlos Portinho, urging the Senate to reassess the commercial restrictions on gambling advertising in sports venues.
The bill intends to limit the advertising rights of gambling operators in sports venues, which the clubs believe is tantamount to a complete ban. If enacted, it is expected to cause an annual loss of up to 1.6 billion Rand (approximately 280 million US dollars) to the Brazilian sports industry.
The statement pointed out that small and medium-sized clubs are particularly vulnerable, as their operations and community activities highly depend on gambling advertising revenue. Moreover, many existing advertising contracts in sports venues usually have a term of three years or longer, and the restrictive measures could lead to complex legal disputes.
The clubs support the amendment submitted by Senator Romário, which allows existing signed advertisements to continue while ensuring compliance with current regulations, protecting the contractual rights of sports venue operators.
It is noteworthy that the new Brazilian gambling regulations are expected to be officially implemented in early 2025. Currently, 71 online gambling applications have begun to be accepted for approval, marking an important step towards comprehensive regulation of the gambling industry in Brazil.
Although the clubs support promoting responsible gambling, they oppose the "one-size-fits-all" advertising ban, citing Italy's experience since its legislation in 2018, which adjusted regulation and allowed a certain degree of gambling advertising, emphasizing the necessity of balancing regulation with industry development.
