The start of the state tournaments marked the return of the Brazilian Series A teams to competitions. In 2024, a trend draws attention: 18 of the 20 elite clubs in national football have established commercial partnerships with bookmakers.
Last year, on the eve of the kickoff of Brazil’s main tournament, 19 of the 20 clubs already had commercial agreements with bookmakers.
The exponential growth is related to the presence of these companies in the best spaces on club shirts. Initially, there were 11 teams, and now that number has increased to 18.
Expectations from clubs and involvement from betting companies
The expectation is that this rise will continue, with Vasco in negotiations to fill its master sponsorship space with a company in the sector.
It is worth mentioning that Cuiabá remains the only team without a commercial agreement with representatives of this sector.
The involvement of bookmakers extends across the entire football universe. In addition to sponsorship on club shirts, former players take on the role of ambassadors for these brands, and marketing actions involving influencers gain prominence.
Competitions such as the Copa do Brasil and Série B also adopt the practice of selling naming rights to companies in the sector.
In contrast to this Brazilian trend, in Europe, the scenario is different. The Premier League recently announced that, until the 2025/2026 season, it will no longer allow betting shops in clubs’ master spaces.
Currently, eight of the 20 teams in the competition have betting sites in these locations, which will soon be banned.
In the other major European leagues, the presence of these brands is more discreet. This is because there are no betting shops in the main club spaces in Spain, Germany and France.
In this way, Italy stands out as an exception, with only one club (Lecce) giving this space to a company in the sector.
Expansion of sponsorship by bookmakers
The expansion of sponsorship by bookmakers is evidenced by the increase in the number of teams now displaying these brands as their main shirt sponsorship.
While last year there were eleven teams, in 2024, 14 clubs, including Grêmio (Esportes da Sorte), Internacional (EstrelaBet), Vasco (pixbet) and Bragantino (mrjackbet), print brands from this sector in other prominent spaces on their shirts.
Palmeiras, in turn, only has an agreement for the women’s team. Recently, Esportes da Sorte was announced as the new master sponsor of Palestrinas.
Furthermore, the expectation is that the Rio club, Vasco, will be part of the main list until the start of the Brasileirão.
