São Paulo football clubs warn betting ad ban could cost R$ 1 billion and disrupt Formula 1, NFL, and 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup plans

The Paulista Football Federation and six São Paulo clubs have asked Mayor Ricardo Nunes for a technical discussion over two bills that would ban sportsbook advertising in arenas, stadiums, and training centers in the city. Their core argument is simple: a municipal ban would not just cut sponsorship revenue, it would also create an uneven playing field versus clubs and events outside São Paulo.

1. The letter, dated Tuesday 24/7, says the proposed measures would trigger at least R$ 1 billion in contract renegotiations and terminations. The bills are PL 553/2025, introduced by councilman Adrilles Jorge, and PL 560/2025, introduced by councilman João Jorge; the two are attached to each other and have already been reviewed by the City Council’s Constitution and Justice Committee.
2. The federation’s main point is not only financial. Because the rule would apply only in São Paulo, clubs based in the city would lose the ability to offer betting sponsors the same matchday visibility available to rivals in other cities and states. In other words, two teams in the same competition would be selling materially different sponsorship inventory depending on where they are based.
3. The letter names Corinthians, Palmeiras, São Paulo, Portuguesa SAF, Juventus SAF, and Nacional Atlético Clube as directly affected. It also says sponsorship money currently helps pay player and coaching staff salaries, club infrastructure, and investment in women’s football, so an abrupt break in that revenue stream would affect direct and indirect jobs as well.
4. The impact, according to the document, would not stop at football. Clubs from outside the city that play in São Paulo in the Brazilian Championship, the Copa do Brasil, or continental competitions would have to remove betting brands from their kits for those matches only, even if those contracts remain valid everywhere else in Brazil.
5. The federation also points to São Paulo’s role as a host city for matches in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. It says commercial contracts for FIFA events often include exposure rights for licensed betting operators, so a clash between municipal law and those obligations could hurt the city’s attractiveness for major events like Formula 1, the NFL, and the Superliga.