After the protest at the Fla-Flu match, Flamengo's organized fan groups officially state their position against the ban on betting.
A day after turning the Fla-Flu match into a stage for protest against the ban on sports betting, Flamengo's main organized fan groups formalized their position. In a joint official statement, released on social media and addressed "to the competent authorities," the groups expressed concern about the effects of Provisional Measure No. 1.394/2026 on Brazilian football and requested that the issue be submitted to broad public debate.
The document is signed by Torcida Jovem do Flamengo, Raça Rubro-Negra, Flamanguaça, Império, Falange Rubro-Negra, Urubuzada, Nação 12 and FlaRuts, that is, the core of the Flamengo organized fan groups.
Right from the start, the groups present themselves as "signatory popular movements," making a point of emphasizing that they are not "just fan groups." According to the text, the decision to demonstrate came "after much reflection on the subject." The target is what they call a "own goal that is being orchestrated against Brazilian football": the Provisional Measure issued by the Lula government on September 25th, which prohibited the exploitation, offering, intermediation, and advertising of fixed-odds betting throughout the national territory and amended Law No. 14.790/2023.
"It is not a political party demonstration."
In the final stretch of the presidential election, the organized fan groups anticipated possible electoral interpretations. The statement affirms that the position is not political-partisan nor does it intend to interfere with the election results. According to the groups, the demonstration stems from a "legitimate and spontaneous" feeling of concern about the direction of football in light of the "hasty prohibition of betting sites in the country."
The concern is no accident. The ban on betting was turned into a flagship issue for the reelection campaign by the government itself, and the topic has begun to divide the electorate, including those who frequent the stands.
15 out of 20 clubs in Serie A
The main argument of the statement is economic. According to the organized groups, 15 of the 20 clubs in the Brazilian Championship's Série A maintain legal ties with regulated betting companies. Citing a UOL report, the text points out that betting accounts for approximately R$1 out of every R$3 of the commercial revenue of the top tier of national football.
"What we want to demonstrate is that the financial framework of Brazilian football today is inextricably linked to betting companies," the document states.
Fans also anticipate the counter-argument that football thrived long before betting houses. "Yes, Flamengo, for example, won the world championship without them," the statement acknowledges, before making a comparison: humanity also lived without electricity for a time, which doesn't mean it would live without it today. "The analysis cannot be reductionist and limited to catchy phrases," the passage concludes.
Gambling addiction recognized, form questioned.
The organized groups make it clear that the document is not a manifesto supporting betting houses nor, in theory, opposing the ban. According to the text, the intention is to discuss how the government decided to resolve the “problem” (thus, in quotation marks, in the original).
The statement acknowledges that gambling addiction and other issues associated with betting are relevant, but argues that a conclusion that excludes other aspects involved is "irrational and abrupt." Therefore, the groups request that the Provisional Measure be submitted to broad public debate, with the participation of the parties involved and the affected institutions.
From the stands to the nets.
The note consolidates the movement that gained national visibility on Sunday (11), when Flamengo and Fluminense fans displayed banners and chanted against the ban during the Fla-Flu, broadcast by TV Globo. As BNLData showed, the classic turned into a national protest against the measure.
The stance taken by organized fan groups carries its own political weight. These are groups with the capacity for mobilization and a constant presence in stadiums and on social media, who are now joining clubs, industry associations, and workers in demanding dialogue—something that, according to the sector itself, the government failed to promote before issuing the Provisional Measure.
The message from the stands to the Presidential Palace is direct: combating the problems of betting cannot cost the financial sustainability of Brazilian football, and a decision of this magnitude cannot be taken by provisional measure, without listening to those on the field and those in the stands.
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