In the four decisions of the main state championships in Brazil – Paulista, Carioca, Mineiro and Gaúcho – there are clubs sponsored by bookmakers. Today, among the clubs in the first division of Brazilian football, only Cuiabá does not have a partnership with companies in the field, but it has already expressed interest in signing an agreement with players in the sector.
In the country’s most populous state, Palmeiras and Água Santa duel for the title of Paulista 2023. Verdão, which is undefeated in the competition, has the support of Betfair for women’s football and digital assets. On the other hand, the Diadema team presents EsportivaBet as a sponsor. Among the eight teams that played in the quarterfinals of the tournament, only São Bernardo does not receive support from the branch.
Paulistão itself is sponsored by several bookmakers. One of the companies that invest in football is Esportes da Sorte, which also participates in other regional tournaments, and has contracts with 10 teams in the most relevant national sport, including Grêmio, Athletico, Bahia and Goiás.
“The aim of Esportes da Sorte is to contribute to the growth of Brazilian football. Because of this, we encourage several national clubs and also competitions. We believe that investment is fundamental for the modality to be strengthened and for teams in our country to achieve more and more success”, said Darwin Filho, CEO of Esportes da Sorte.
Among the four best teams in the Campeonato Carioca – Fluminense, Flamengo, Vasco and Volta Redonda – all are backed by bookmakers. The rubro-negro and cruzmaltino have partnerships with Pixbet. The tricolor is sponsored by Betano and the Aurinegro team has Royal Bets as an ally.
Fábio Wolff, specialist in sports marketing and partner-director of Wolff Sports, a group that helped clubs sign contracts with betting companies, such as Santos with Pixbet and Athletico with Esportes da Sorte, commented on the importance of these values for the main sport of the country.
“Currently, the sports betting segment is the one that most invests in Brazilian football. If this money is well managed by the clubs, it will bring many benefits to everyone involved in the ecosystem”.
Bookmakers are strengthening northeastern football
Bookmakers are also strengthening Northeastern football. In the Cearense Championship, for example, the two finalists of the local tournament – Fortaleza and Ceará – have the support of the segment. Both teams signed the agreements in 2023. In January, the alvinegro announced EstrelaBet as an ally. In March, Tricolor presented Novbet as a partner.
“The deal valid for two years with Novibet shows the evolution of the club on the national scene. The company of Greek origin having chosen our club to expose its brand to the Brazilian people proves that we are on the right path, building an image of credibility for Fortaleza”, said Marcelo Paz, president of Fortaleza.
In Pernambuco, another event with great tradition in the region, the three associations with the most titles in history – Sport, Santa Cruz and Náutico – are sponsored by the betting sector. In this edition of the competition, the red-and-black team is undefeated in the lead and has already secured early qualification for the semifinals.
“The bookmakers are here to stay in Brazilian football. The financial incentive coming from this sector is increasingly important. Sport has the master sponsorship of Betnacional and receives an important amount for the association’s accounts due to the agreement with the company. By Through this partnership, we managed to renovate the Training Center and offer better conditions for all club employees”, said Yuri Romão, president of Sport.
In the Goiano Championship, the main state competition in the Midwest, the strength of companies in the segment can also be seen. The biggest forces in the region – Goiás and Atlético-GO – will fight for the title in the next two weekends. The dragon has Blaze as a partner. On the other hand, the emerald is a partner of Esportes da Sorte.
“In addition to being the biggest sponsorship in the club’s history, the arrival of Esportes da Sorte reaffirmed our work to strengthen the brand, which once again attracted large companies. This agreement is extremely important for the financial part of the institution, contributing to the planning of the current season. The partner, in turn, starts to communicate with a new and numerous audience, which is our fans, the biggest in the Midwest”, concluded Tiago Pinheiro, Goiás marketing director.
