Brazilian football on the brink of major losses following online betting ban

11 November 2026, 22:512 min read1

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has officially assessed the financial damage that the ban on online betting in the country will cause to the local football system. During public hearings at the Federal Supreme Court, it was announced that due to the new restrictions, the losses for Brazilian football in 2027 alone will amount to approximately 420 million reais (nearly 80 million dollars). Moreover, this financial loss is expected to increase further in the coming years.

Multi-million dollar contracts between bookmakers and clubs

According to data provided by the Confederation, bookmaking companies are currently the primary (title) sponsors for 27 out of the 40 clubs in the top two divisions of the Brazilian championship. The total value of these sponsorship contracts is approximately 1 billion reais, which accounts for a full 35 percent of all sponsorship revenue for these teams.

The CBF believes that the departure of bookmakers from the market will lead to a sharp decline in the value of sponsorship agreements. As a result, in order to cover the emerging financial holes and losses, clubs will be forced to sell their players more actively, which in turn will have a serious impact on the transfer market.

Financial and organizational indicators	Details and data
Estimated loss in 2027	Approximately 420 million reais (nearly 80 million dollars)
Number of sponsored clubs	Title sponsor for 27 out of 40 clubs
Total value of contracts	Approximately 1 billion reais
Sponsorship share	35 percent of all club sponsorship revenue
Situation in Serie A (previously)	Title sponsor for 14 out of 20 clubs

"A snowball effect will occur for all of Brazilian football. The entire ecosystem will lose its value. We call on the government to find a balanced solution that protects public health while taking into account the economic interests of football," the Confederation said in an official statement.

Adoption of the law and suspension of bookmaking activities

As a reminder, on September 25 of this year, Brazilian President Lula da Silva signed a document completely banning bookmaking activities and gambling advertisements. Following this, starting from October 6, the websites and mobile applications of all legal operators were forced to cease operations. Before the restrictions were introduced, bookmakers were acting as the primary sponsors for 14 of the 20 clubs in the Brazilian Serie A.

Do you think such strict bans introduced by the government for the sake of public health will drastically reduce the economic stability of Brazilian football? Leave your opinion in the comments!