São Paulo clubs unite over bid to curb betting adverts | OneFootball

Representatives of Corinthians, Palmeiras, Santos, São Paulo and Juventus met on Friday at the Federação Paulista de Futebol to coordinate a response to proposed curbs on betting advertising. One bill could face a first vote at the City Council next week.

According to Globo.com, clubs are worried about revenue being hit and are aligning a joint stance. The meeting involved marketing, communications and legal staff, alongside betting industry executives.

Councillor João Jorge's draft would ban betting operators' publicity at events in São Paulo, public or private, amateur or professional. It would at least cover boards, banners and panels in sports venues, with penalties from R$ 50,000 to a ban on staging events for two years.

The proposal has cleared committees with favourable opinions and is slated for a first vote, with expectations of a comfortable majority. It needs a simple majority in two rounds before going to mayor Ricardo Nunes for sanction.

Clubs fear they may need to play outside the city to preserve existing deals, worth R$ 350 million a year for Corinthians, Palmeiras and São Paulo. They also warn of an uneven playing field with teams from other states, citing Flamengo's near R$ 270 million annual contract.

Participants are weighing educational campaigns, collective actions and political outreach. After any first approval, public hearings are planned to refine the text, and the current reading is that shirt sponsors would not be barred, though some councillors want tougher rules.

Source: Globo.com

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