Minas Gerais bans betting ads in stadiums and public property, including Mineirão and Mineirinho

Governor Mateus Simões has signed a decree that will prohibit advertising for betting companies on state public property and on stadiums granted by the Minas Gerais government to private operators. For high-risk operators and their PSPs, the point is simple: this is not about online marketing in the abstract, but about where sponsor visibility can and cannot appear on matchday.

1. Simões announced that the ban will cover public assets and roads in Minas Gerais, as well as stadiums under state concession. The decree is due to be signed on Thursday, 20/8, and published in the state’s Official Gazette on Friday, 21/8.
2. The measure explicitly includes Mineirão, home to Cruzeiro’s matches in the Campeonato Brasileiro, and Mineirinho, the multi-purpose arena used for volleyball and other sports. Simões said the ban covers advertising boards around the pitch during football matches, and that it applies to “exhibition in the space, by any means.”
3. The governor said the state will go to court if Mineirão keeps betting ads on display. His argument was blunt: the venue is a state asset, and the operator must follow the rules set by the government. The Mineirão concessionaire said it had not been formally informed of the measure at the time of publication.
4. Ad inventory at Cruzeiro matches is sold by the clubs themselves; in Cruzeiro’s case, the commercialization rights were sold to Brax Sports Assets. Cruzeiro, Brax, and the CBF were contacted, but had not commented by publication time. One awkward detail for the market: the Campeonato Brasileiro itself already has a betting sponsor, Betano.
5. The stadium restriction is part of a broader package. Simões also said Loteria Mineira will be barred from operating sports betting, and that he will send a draft decree to Minas Gerais’ 853 municipalities suggesting they also ban betting ads on municipal public equipment.

Simões tied the move to slowing ICMS collection. In the first half of 2026, Minas Gerais’ ICMS revenue grew only in line with inflation, while the state had expected real growth of 2%, matching the IBGE’s GDP expansion projection. His view was that consumer spending capacity is weakening, and that the data points to bets.