Football players take legal action to block the use of their image in sports betting.
Four soccer players have obtained preliminary injunctions in Brazilian courts to prevent betting companies from using their names and images in individual sports betting markets. The lawsuits were filed against companies such as Betano, Bet365, Verabet, and Cassino.bet.
Athletes Ricardo Bueno (currently playing for Pouso Alegre, Minas Gerais, and formerly for Palmeiras), Guilherme Marques (Atlético-GO), Gabriel Barros (América-MG), and Gustavo Vilar (Botafogo-SP) are represented by lawyer Marcelo Robalinho, partner at the RA Law firm. The preliminary injunctions are still subject to appeal, and the merits of the cases have not yet been analyzed by the courts, but the case could set a precedent for a series of new lawsuits both in Brazil and abroad.
Identity as a commercial product
For the athletes' defense, the central point of the dispute is not the existence of sports betting itself, but the use of the players' individual identities as a component of the product marketed by the platforms. “There are various types of bets offered by these sites. Our action focuses on the issue of when you individualize the athlete, because then the person is no longer betting on the result, victory or draw. They are betting that a certain athlete will receive a yellow card, or will score a goal, or will commit more than five fouls. This personalizes the product, which is the bet, by using the player's name and the entire career he has built,” explained Robalinho.
Beyond the discussion about personality rights, the lawsuits reveal a second problem: the exposure of athletes to harassment, demands, and threats from bettors who suffered financial losses. The lawyer described cases in which players were threatened through messages on social media. “I bet you would score the goal, you missed the penalty, now I'm at a loss, you have to compensate me, you have to pay me for what happened, if anything I'll come to your training session. This puts the athlete in a precarious, risky situation, in a case where the player did not agree to participate, to be the product of that bet,” argued Robalinho.
In one of the preliminary injunctions, issued by the Minas Gerais Court, the judge agreed with the "allegation that linking the athlete's image to the sports betting market could have negative repercussions on his professional reputation, especially given the growing scenario of investigations involving the manipulation of sports results and events related to online betting ." The decision prohibits Verabet from using, exploiting, disclosing, or linking, directly or indirectly, the athlete's image, name, sporting identity, professional nickname, or any elements related to his personality on its platform.
Non-compliance and risk of suspension.
The debate surrounding these actions occurs at a time of increasing pressure on the sector. Following excesses recorded during the 2026 World Cup, the Brazilian government has already signaled measures to restrict the activities of commentators and influencers in inducing betting. However, the questioning of the unauthorized use of identities goes beyond athletes; in May 2026, the Barra Mansa club, which competes in the Série C (fifth professional division) of Rio de Janeiro, officially requested its exclusion from betting platforms from the Ministry of Sport, alleging that it had not authorized the use of its name and symbols. In the 2025 season, the club was relegated from the state's Série B2 due to suspicions of match-fixing in a game against Paraty.
The regulation of the betting market in Brazil, which came into effect in 2025, stipulates the mandatory payment of contributions by companies in the sector for the use of the image, name, symbol, and trademarks of clubs, federations, and athletes. In practice, the way in which these payments and distributions occur, especially to teams and players, remains unclear, according to the draft text.
To date, the betting companies notified of the court orders have not yet removed the names and personal attributes of the athletes from their websites. Faced with this resistance, the legal professionals involved are considering requesting the application of a daily fine and, if the non-compliance continues, blocking access to the platforms. "The stance of non-compliance with the court orders was not expected, but it resembles the conduct we see in cases we litigate against social media companies, which leads us to believe it is a directive from the international parent companies," stated Robalinho.
