One week after Brazil’s betting ban was signed, the government has made what appears to be its first concession: football shirts bearing betting operator brands that have already been manufactured can continue to be sold in Brazil.
The guidance is contained in a technical note from the Secretariat of Social Communication of the Presidency (Secom), signed on 2 October, following the ban set out in Medida Provisória (MP) 1.394/2026, which President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed on 25 September.
Will there be more concessions?
The major question is whether the note indicates that the government may give ground on other points. There is already pressure, as Congress has received 47 amendments to the Provisional Measure, compared with 42 when NEXT.io reported on the issue on October 2.
One of them, No. 11, would allow existing sponsorships on shirts and in stadiums to be maintained until the end of the season or for up to 24 months, which goes beyond the Secom note, which is restricted to existing stock.
But the note states that the prohibitions remain fully applicable. The amendments only take effect if the rapporteur incorporates them into the joint committee’s report, and the deadline for submitting them runs until October 13.
What the note allows
Secom states that the mere sale of stock produced under the previous rules is not, in and of itself, a new advertising or sponsorship action. This applies to manufacturers, distributors, retailers and stores.
The note responds to a letter from the sports trade association ÁPICE, a trade association for sports goods makers and retailers.
It does not extend sponsorship contracts or suspend any prohibition. New production, campaigns, promotional actions, the use of influencers and new payments for brand exposure all remain prohibited.
Match kits, training wear, stadium signage, broadcasts and social media also fall outside the scope of the document, which neither approves nor prohibits them. Enforcement falls to the consumer protection system.
For specialist Erich Beting, director of Máquina do Esporte, this was to be expected and is, after all, a natural process since the shirts were already ready for retail, with taxes paid and ready to reach fans’ hands.
Fábio Wolff, of Wolff Sports, says the Secom decision is a common-sense measure in the face of a concrete situation.
“It would make no sense to turn thousands of shirts that were legally produced, under the regulations in force at the time, into an immediate loss. I don’t necessarily see it as a contradiction of the ban, because it is not about authorising new sponsorships or new campaigns, but about allowing existing stock to be cleared,” he said.
Football clubs already acting against ban
The Supreme Federal Court (STF) did not rule on the requests it received for injunctions against the ban before the deadline expired.
Betting operators were seeking at least a provisional decision from Justice Luiz Fux, the rapporteur, on the Direct Actions of Unconstitutionality (ADIs) they submitted against the Provisional Measure, according to UOL.
Without it, they complied with the deadline. By midnight today (6 October), sites such as those of Sportingbet, Betnacional, Esportes da Sorte and Superbet began redirecting to a government page, which states that banks will return balances between 9 and 14 October.
On Wednesday, the Brasileirão will play its first round without betting operators, unless something changes at the STF.
Flamengo, which has the largest master sponsorship in Série A, asked the STF for an injunction to suspend the Provisional Measure before the deadline.
Betting sponsorships totaled around R$1bn (€178.3m) in 2025 for Série A clubs, or 7.9% of the total revenue of the 20 teams, according to Estadão Conteúdo. At least two contracts have already been affected: Santos and Novibet suspended their deal, and 7k notified Vitória of termination.
Justice Fux has not yet ruled on the request, and may do so in the coming days. Flamengo has already removed the Betano brand from its training kit and social media, but continues to sell the shirts bearing the sponsor.
Meanwhile Fluminense, which is sponsored by Superbet, had warned of six months’ worth of stock and asked for a transition period, according to Gazeta do Povo.
What remains open
Justice Luiz Fux has not yet ruled on any of the requests to suspend the Provisional Measure, and a decision from him could still change the picture.
The Secom note, for its part, does not say when a sale becomes a promotion, who verifies this, or what the clubs will wear on the pitch without the brands.
NEXT.io has contacted Secom and ÁPICE for comment but has not yet received a response.
Dingnews.com 09/10/2026