Provisional measure removes betting logos from half of the shirts of Serie A clubs.
The ban on betting company advertising has left half of the Serie A clubs without a main shirt sponsor. Seven of the 14 teams that had betting companies as their main sponsors lost the brand from the prime space on their uniforms after the federal provisional measure came into effect. The survey, published by Poder360, considered the last two rounds of the 2026 Brazilian Championship.
The provisional measure vetoed advertising, marketing, and sponsorship related to fixed-odds betting in the country. Betting companies accounted for 34% of the marketing revenue of the 20 largest Brazilian football clubs in 2025, according to a survey by the consulting firm Sports Value. The teams generated R$ 3,2 billion in marketing revenue that year; approximately R$ 1,1 billion originated from contracts with companies in the betting sector.
Bahia, Cruzeiro, Grêmio, Vitória, Palmeiras, Chapecoense, and Atlético-MG played matches without any brand logos in the main space on their uniforms after the bets were removed.
Responses from the clubs
Faced with the empty space on their uniforms, the clubs adopted different strategies. Corinthians began displaying Shopee as their new main sponsor after a one-off campaign with the Jota.ai brand; the agreement with the e-commerce company is valid for the remaining matches of the 2026 Brazilian Championship. Santos announced Agibank to occupy the space until the end of the season, after using the uniform to promote the Instituto Leão do Mar in an institutional initiative.
São Paulo and Fluminense replaced Superbet with Superscore, as both clubs had the betting company as their main sponsor. Botafogo and Vasco used the space to promote their fan membership programs, Camisa 7 and Sócio Gigante, respectively. Athletico-PR also advertised its fan membership program in the same space.
Internacional has been without a fixed main sponsor since the termination of its contract with Alfa Bet in January 2026; in the last two rounds of the Brasileirão, the club from Rio Grande do Sul featured Shopee on its shirts. Red Bull Bragantino and Mirassol did not need to make substitutions: they already displayed, respectively, Red Bull and Guaraná Poty in the main sponsor space.
Protest on shirts
Flamengo and Fluminense chose a different path from the others. The two clubs displayed the phrase "To prohibit is not to protect" on their uniforms during the classic match played this Saturday (10/11), in direct protest against the provisional measure. The same message appeared on the advertising boards in the stadiums.
Flamengo had Betano as its main sponsor and even tried to suspend the ban in court, but did not obtain an injunction before the deadline to remove the betting brands from the shirts.
Pressure on the Supreme Court
Clubs and representatives of the betting sector are pressuring the Supreme Federal Court to suspend the provisional measure. Minister Luiz Fux, rapporteur of the actions on the subject, is only expected to analyze the case after the second round of elections, scheduled for this Wednesday (October 25).
Among the organizations that have already filed lawsuits with the Supreme Federal Court (STF) against Provisional Measure 1.394 are ANJL (National Association of Games and Lotteries) and IBJR (Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming), which went to the Supreme Court this Wednesday (September 28th), requesting the suspension of the measure until Congress or the full STF analyzes the text. The Brazilian Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters filed a lawsuit this Friday (September 30th), alleging that communication companies were prevented from executing contracts already signed and pointing to revenue losses.
On the same day, Flamengo was admitted as amicus curiae in three lawsuits concerning the regulation of betting. On October 1st, São Paulo, Ponte Preta, Guarani, Portuguesa, and Vitória filed a petition with the Supreme Court requesting a period of up to one year to adapt to the rules, arguing that there was a risk of the Brazilian Championship being paralyzed. Botafogo also requested to participate as amicus curiae on Monday (October 1st), stating that the Provisional Measure affects "football and what it sustains: women's football, Olympic and Paralympic sports, and youth categories." On Tuesday (October 2nd), Cruzeiro, Fluminense, and 14 other clubs requested to be heard in the process and asked for the suspension of the Provisional Measure until it is analyzed by Congress.
The Attorney General's Office defends maintaining the ban and has asked the Supreme Court to hear from the Attorney General's Office and consider holding a public hearing before making a decision. Organizations opposed to the measure question its constitutionality and claim that the ban creates legal uncertainty and harms advertising and sponsorship contracts, without eliminating betting altogether.
The sale of shirts already produced with betting company logos was authorized by the Secretariat of Social Communication of the Presidency this Wednesday (October 5th). The directive allows the sale of uniforms manufactured before the provisional measure, provided that the sale is not used as a new advertising action for the betting companies; new promotional campaigns and the extension of contracts with companies in the sector remain prohibited.
The Supreme Court's decision and the analysis of the measure by Congress could alter the landscape for clubs and the sports sponsorship market.
