The Chamber of Deputies is moving towards banning betting on specific football events, such as yellow and red cards. Bill 2.842/2023, which received a favorable opinion for approval in the Sports Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, prohibits betting on cards, fouls and corners.
Deputies Ricardo Ayres (Republicanos-TO) and Daniel Agrobom (PL-GO) are responsible for the proposal, created to preserve sporting integrity.
Luciano Vieira (Republicans-RJ), the rapporteur of the text, explained: “It aims to reduce the incidence of unsportsmanlike behavior by athletes, referees or any other individual with significant influence over the games.” The parliamentarian highlighted this need in light of the increase in match-fixing scandals in national sports.
In his latest opinion, presented on April 29, Congressman Luciano Vieira wrote: “Concerns about sports integrity in football have grown in recent years. Alleged cases of manipulation have become frequent in the news, revealing the urgency of adopting effective mechanisms to prevent them. In addition to compromising the image of the sport, these practices harm the experience of passionate fans and expose good-faith bettors to financial risks.”
Betting and manipulation in football
In the report filed on April 29, the rapporteur highlighted that society is increasingly questioning the integrity of Brazilian football. Cases of manipulation have been making headlines. In addition to damaging the image of the sport, these practices compromise the experience of fans and also put bettors’ money at risk.
The bill was added to another proposal, Bill 4,665/2023, presented by congressman Felipe Carreras (PSB-PE). This proposal also prohibits betting on individual events and establishes punishments for those involved in match-fixing.
The Sports Commission vote will take place at a sensitive time. Recently, players such as West Ham’s Lucas Paquetá and Flamengo’s Bruno Henrique have caught the media’s attention. Both were suspected of seeking yellow cards to benefit bettors, but they have emphatically denied all accusations.