Brazil’s betting ban sparks Maracanã protest after Flamengo-Fluminense match, with chants against Lula

Brazilian football is openly pushing back against the government’s provisional measure banning sports betting and online gaming operations, advertising, and sponsorships. At the Maracanã, that dispute moved from club boardrooms to the stands, ending with chants against President Lula da Silva after Flamengo beat Fluminense 1-0 in the Brasileirao.

1. Before kickoff, both Flamengo and Fluminense turned their shirts into a political message: the usual main sponsor space carried the slogan “Prohibir no es proteger” (“To prohibit is not to protect”). The clubs framed it as a campaign against the measure that bans bets in Brazil.
2. Flamengo had already used the same action in its previous match, but this time the protest also appeared in the stadium itself, with a banner displayed as the teams came out. The message read: “Brazilian football cannot be a victim of this own goal. Lula, Congress and STF (Supremo Tribunal Federal).”
3. The sharpest escalation came after the match, when a group of fans outside the Maracanã chanted: “Hey, Lula, go f*** yourself.” The anger is tied to the September executive measure, which ordered betting platforms to stop operations from October 6 after a short transition period for winding down activities.
4. The government says the ban is a public health step aimed at protecting household finances, curbing debt, and reducing problems linked to dependency, anxiety, and depression. Clubs, meanwhile, say the loss of sponsorship contracts will hit Brazilian football’s revenue and push users toward illegal platforms.
5. The timing matters. This dispute is landing in the middle of Brazil’s political moment, with the presidential runoff between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro scheduled for Sunday, October 25.