Flamengo goes to Brazil's Supreme Court over provisional betting ban | OneFootball

Red-and-black club becomes the first to appeal to the Supreme Court against provisional measure restricting sports betting

Flamengo filed a petition on Tuesday (29) to act as a ‘friend of the court,’ legally known as ‘amicus curiae,’ in at least two Direct Actions of Unconstitutionality (ADI) dealing with sports betting and online gaming. With this move, the club becomes the first football team in the country to officially turn to the Federal Supreme Court (STF) in an attempt to overturn the bets.

In this sense, the measure seeks to reverse the effects of the government’s provisional measure that banned betting in Brazil. By formally joining the cases, the club will now provide supporting information and technical arguments to help the justices of the Federal Supreme Court assess the economic and social impact of the ban.

PRESSURE FOR AN INJUNCTION AND MULTI-MILLION LOSSES

In addition, the red-and-black board stressed the urgency of the Supreme Court reviewing a request for an injunction filed jointly by the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) and the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR). With this added support, Flamengo is trying to speed up the immediate suspension of the effects of the rule issued by the government last week.

Flamengo’s request will be reviewed by Justice Luiz Fux, who is the rapporteur for the cases. If the participation is accepted, the red-and-black club will be able to attach documents and official statements throughout the proceedings.

Finally, Flamengo warned that the breach of sponsorship contracts with betting brands could suffocate less profitable sports. The board estimates that the financial hit caused by the ban could reach R$ 430 million.

READ AN EXCERPT FROM FLAMENGO’S PETITION

“When Parliament begins debating the provisional measure, there will be nothing left to preserve. (…) Nothing intended to be achieved in October 2026 will cease to be achievable in 2027. On the other hand, everything destroyed in October 2026 will be lost in 2027“, the excerpt says.

IMPACT ON ATHLETES AND THE OLYMPICS

Flamengo explained in the case that several Olympic medal-winning athletes and young prospects depend on money from these companies to train. Because of this, the club warns that the lack of resources could force it to cancel or scale back sports projects right in the middle of preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games.

In addition, the club criticized the short deadline given by the government to remove betting brands from shirts, stadiums, and TV broadcasts. In Flamengo’s view, it is impossible to comply with this rule in just a few days, since there are already finished shirts in stock, products sold to fans, and advertising contracts signed well in advance.

THE DANGER OF ILLEGAL WEBSITES

Finally, Flamengo argues that banning companies operating legally will not put an end to betting. On the contrary, the club warns that the measure will only cause bettors to move directly to illegal and pirate websites, which do not pay taxes and offer no security at all.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.