Lula says Brazilian clubs oppose tighter betting rules as Flamengo, Corinthians and others defend regulated market

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said football clubs are lining up against possible restrictions or a ban on electronic betting sites in Brazil. For PSPs and operators, the useful bit is simple: the local football economy is now openly treating betting sponsorship and regulated gambling revenue as a financing issue, not just a branding one.

1. Speaking at a rally in Guarulhos (SP) on Friday (18/9), Lula said Brazilian clubs were arguing that if the government ends “bets,” it would end football. He first singled out Flamengo, then added Corinthians and other teams after first lady Janja Lula da Silva gestured for him to include more clubs in the remark.
2. Lula pushed back by pointing to Brazilian clubs that won international titles before online sports betting existed. He named São Paulo, Santos, Grêmio, Internacional and Flamengo among world champions, and joked that Corinthians won twice without bets while Palmeiras had not won a world title.
3. He also argued that betting should be curbed as a tool against money laundering, and said Brazil’s national team won five World Cups without online betting sponsorship. His line was blunt: the issue is not football disappearing, but “money laundering and robbery” being stopped.
4. Before the rally, several Brazilian football bodies had already spoken out against changes to betting regulation. Flamengo, Fluminense, São Paulo, Santos, Botafogo, Vasco and Palmeiras published positions against restrictions, alongside the official accounts of the Paulista and Carioca championships and the National Federation of Professional Football Athletes.
5. According to the clubs’ joint statement, 13 of the 20 Serie A clubs have master sponsorship deals with betting companies. The groups estimate that a ban would hit this revenue stream by approximately R$ 1 billion.

The thing is, this is not just a political argument about “bets” versus football. For the Brazilian market, it is a direct signal that clubs see regulated gambling as material sponsorship income, and that any restriction would immediately affect operator visibility, sponsor economics and, by extension, payment flows tied to the sector.