The four major football clubs in Rio de Janeiro - Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense, and Vasco da Gama - did not respond within the deadline to the request from the Public Defender's Office of the State of Rio de Janeiro (DPRJ) to remove advertising for sports betting houses displayed on official products aimed at children.
The request was sent to the clubs on the last 1st, setting a deadline of 15 days for a response, which ended on Wednesday (16). On Thursday morning (17), the Public Defender's Office informed Agência Brasil that there was no return and that the institution will reiterate the request, awaiting the official documents from Flamengo, Vasco, Fluminense, and Botafogo.
The request was made by the Coordination of Childhood and Youth (CoInfância) and the Consumer Defense Unit (Nudecon) of the DPRJ.
Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense, and Vasco da Gama have bets as their master sponsorship (main exposure on the uniform, on the front of the shirt) a segment that is under great scrutiny in the country, due to the amount of resources that are draining in the economy and behavioral impacts on bettors.
The document signed by defenders Rodrigo Azambuja Martins and Thiago Henrique Cunha Basílio cites laws 8.069/90 and 8.078/90 and resolution 163 of the National Council for the Rights of Children and Adolescents (Conanda), which regulate the advertising of articles intended for consumption and use by children and adolescents.
Furthermore, it presents Ordinance 1.231, of July 31, 2024, from the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets, an agency of the Ministry of Finance. Article 17 states that “in the event of sponsorship by a betting operator, its logo should not be included in articles and goods whose marketing is intended for minors under 18 years old”.
According to the Public Defender's Office, the initiative to notify the clubs arose after the institution received complaints that names of betting houses sponsoring the clubs were stamped on children's shirts and articles.
In the letter, the Public Defender's Office “requests and recommends” that the clubs refrain from marketing products with the name of the betting house and that there be no such advertising in base team competitions that include athletes under 18 years old.
Bets
In recent months, the actions of bets have faced public scrutiny due to effects on the economy and families.
A survey by the Locomotive Institute calculated that 25 million people started making sports bets on electronic platforms in the first seven months of 2024. In five years, the number reached 52 million.
Another study, linked to the multinational auditing and consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, pointed out that sports bets compromise the family budget of classes D and E, negatively impacting the consumption of goods and services.
The betting market managed to drain part of the resources from social programs. According to the Central Bank (BC), beneficiaries of the Bolsa Família would have spent R$ 3 billion on bets via Pix in August.
The government has taken measures to regulate the sector, for example, taking down illegal betting sites. The Ministry of Finance established the prohibition of using credit cards to pay for bets.
On this Thursday (17), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated that he could end the market of bets if the regulation is not sufficient to ensure the mental and financial health of the population.
Clubs
Agência Brasil sought the clubs regarding the request from the Public Defender's Office. Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas reported that the issue should be clarified with the Sociedade Anônima do Futebol (SAF) Botafogo, the manager of the club's football. The other clubs did not send comments.
The Public Defender's Office informed Agência Brasil that the letters were sent to the clubs and that “it is up to them, when applicable, to make it reach the SAF”. Vasco da Gama is another club that has its football managed by a SAF company.
Source: Agência Brasil
