Sao Paulo Clubs Unite Against Betting Ad Ban Bills
Five of Sao Paulo's biggest football clubs have united in response to city council bills that would ban betting company advertising in the city, meeting last week at the Sao Paulo Football Federation to discuss the potential impact on sponsorship revenue.
Representatives from Corinthians, Palmeiras, Sao Paulo, Santos and Juventus, alongside betting-sector executives, discussed Bill 560/2025, which could go before the city council within weeks, according to Globo Esporte.
The bill would prohibit betting company signage, banners and display panels at sporting events in Sao Paulo, plus advertising on public transport, with fines of BRL50,000 (about US$10,000) and a two-year ban on hosting events for breaches.
Hundreds Of Millions Of Reais In Sponsorship At Stake
Corinthians (sponsored by Esportes da Sorte), Palmeiras (Sportingbet) and Sao Paulo (Superbet) alone hold betting sponsorship contracts worth a combined BRL350 million (roughly US$65 million) a year.
Clubs are concerned the bill could force them to host matches outside city limits to preserve those sponsorship deals in place with sports betting operators, and are coordinating with city political leaders on a joint response.
Clubs Warn Of A Competitive Disadvantage
Reinaldo Carneiro Bastos, president of the Sao Paulo Football Federation, warned that betting-company advertising is a primary revenue source for the clubs and that losing it would create a disparity extending onto the pitch, since clubs in other Brazilian states would keep access to that sponsorship money while Sao Paulo's clubs would not.
That concern is particularly acute for Corinthians, Palmeiras and Sao Paulo, whose current betting sponsorships are among the richest in Brazilian football.
The meeting drew about 40 attendees from the clubs' marketing, communications and legal departments alongside executives from five betting companies, and city lawmakers are expected to hold a first vote on the bill within days.
