Série A clubs plan protests against Brazil’s betting ban in round 31 as São Paulo and Flamengo wear “Prohibition does not protect” shirts

São Paulo and Flamengo will carry a blunt message onto the pitch in Saturday’s Brasileirão round 31: “Prohibition does not protect.” The campaign is aimed at Brazil’s MP (Medida Provisória) on betting and the risk that cutting the regulated market pushes players toward unlicensed sites instead of protecting them.

1. São Paulo and Flamengo will display the slogan on their shirts in matches against Vasco and Bahia, respectively, on 17/10. The protest is part of a broader push by Série A clubs against the betting ban.
2. The action is being coordinated by the Instituto Brasileiro de Jogo Responsável (IBJR) and the Associação Nacional de Jogos e Loterias (ANJL). Across the round, ten matches will also show the message on advertising boards, alongside the campaign “Aposto que você não sabia”.
3. The two groups argue that the MP signed by President Lula exposes bettors to the clandestine market and reduces public revenue. Their line is straightforward: shutting down the regulated market does not make demand disappear; it moves users into an environment without legal protection.
4. Carlos Lima, executive president of the IBJR, said the ban “opened space for the illegal market, removed protections for bettors and weakened the mechanisms for monitoring and combating match-fixing”. He added that protecting consumers and sporting integrity requires “rules, oversight and the fight against clandestinity”.
5. Plínio Lemos Jorge, president of the ANJL, said the Brasileirão’s reach makes it a useful platform for widening the debate. He said bettors “continue to face the risks of more than 30,000 illegal betting sites active in the country”.