Brazilian football clubs’ pro-betting posts drew up to 90% negative comments, Bites study finds

A Bites analysis commissioned by GLOBO found that social media posts by major Brazilian clubs defending sports betting drew heavy backlash, with some reaching 90% negative comments. For PSPs and merchants in high-risk verticals, the useful signal is simple: when betting sponsorship becomes a political issue, brand association can turn into a reputational liability very quickly.

1. The consultancy reviewed posts from Vasco, Flamengo, Corinthians, Palmeiras, Santos, and São Paulo. The four clubs from São Paulo posted jointly with the state federation. The posts were published last Thursday, 17, in response to the federal government’s push to tighten rules on bets.
2. The worst reaction was on Vasco’s post, where 90% of comments were openly against bets. Flamengo’s post reached 86% negative comments, while the joint post involving the four São Paulo clubs drew 85% rejection.
3. Comments that were not explicitly against bets were grouped as “neutral” or “others.” Even within the “neutral” bucket, some users were still criticizing the clubs, just not directly mentioning bets. In other words, the classification did not make the backlash look smaller; it mostly just changed the label.
4. The volume was also large. Vasco’s post received almost 25,000 comments, 50% more than the second-most-commented post in the previous 30 days. Flamengo’s post generated more than 55,000 responses, almost double the second-largest total in the same period.
5. On the same day, several Brazilian football clubs published a statement titled “The end of Brazilian football,” warning that new measures in sports betting could hit the sector. The clubs said many major teams are sponsored by betting companies, so restrictions or a ban could affect football financing.

President Lula responded at a rally in Guarulhos the following Friday, saying he intended to “end bets” and rejecting the clubs’ argument that tighter rules would end football. He said bets had collected R$ 62 billion and framed the issue as one of harm to low-income players and “improper behavior” in football.