Union goes to Supreme Court over betting MP, seeks rules till 2026 | OneFootball

Sinafut wants to act as a friend of the court in a case overseen by Luiz Fux and warns of the risk of weakening the fight against match-fixing

The National Union of Professional Football Associations (Sinafut) asked the Federal Supreme Court (STF) to immediately suspend the Bets Executive Order. In the same petition, the organization requests permission to participate as amicus curiae — the so-called friend of the court — in a case overseen by Justice Luiz Fux. Demétrio Vecchioli’s column in Metrópoles revealed the move this Monday (28).

The union wants the measure to lose effect until the National Congress deliberates on the issue. Alternatively, it accepts that the suspension remain in place until the Supreme Court’s final ruling on the cases. If the STF rejects the main request, the organization proposes a transition period of up to six months for betting platforms to remain online.

At a minimum, Sinafut supports a rule extending through the end of the sports season, on December 31, 2026. According to the organization, that deadline would preserve sponsorship contracts, naming rights, advertising, broadcasting rights, and legal transfers to sports. After all, clubs rely on that money to pay commitments already made for the season.

Union cites risk to oversight of match-fixing

Sinafut says it has legitimacy to speak on behalf of federations, clubs, and athletes. Currently, Gustavo Oliveira Vieira, an executive from the Espírito Santo federation, leads the union. Before him, Mustafá Contursi, former president of Palmeiras, headed the organization for 21 years. In addition, two CBF vice presidents are part of its board.

One of the petition’s central arguments involves the integrity of competitions. For the union, the end of the regulated market removes the monitoring obligations that authorized companies are required to fulfill. Meanwhile, bets on Brazilian football would continue on clandestine websites, without any oversight. The calendar is also mentioned in the document, since the executive order’s deadline coincides with the final stretch of the competitions.

“Once authorization ends, the duties of monitoring and reporting also end, while betting on Brazilian football will continue on platforms not subject to any of these duties. (…) Removing the regulated market from the game, without the State having the structure to contain the illegal market, weakens detection precisely where it is most needed,” the union says.

“The October 5, 2026 deadline falls in the final stretch of national competitions and state-level deciders, when brand exposure and contractual monetization are at their peak. The 2027 budgets and the state championships, which begin in January, are being defined now. A transition extending through the end of the 2026 season is the minimum compatible with sports planning,” the organization continues.

What the Bets Executive Order establishes

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva issued the executive order last Friday (25). On that occasion, Finance Minister Dario Durigan presented the text alongside the president. Since then, platforms have been prohibited from receiving new deposits from bettors.

Under the schedule for suspending betting companies, users have until 11:59 p.m. on October 5 to withdraw their balances. Starting the following day, betting platforms will no longer be allowed to offer bets or advertising. After that, banks will return any remaining funds, and Caixa may mediate cases involving impediments.

The executive order interrupts a market that had been operating in a regulated manner since Law 14.790 of 2023. That is why Sinafut is not alone before the Supreme Court. Also this Monday, ANJL and IBJR, organizations in the betting sector, asked Fux to immediately suspend the measure. Until there is a court ruling, however, the rules of the executive order remain in force.

Flamengo faces the risk of losing Betano

At Flamengo, the discussion directly affects the club’s main shirt sponsorship spot. Betano has informally signaled to the club the risk of ending its main sponsorship deal. The contract is worth around R$ 268 million per season and runs through the end of 2028.

According to an internal assessment, betting-related sponsorships account for up to 20% of the revenue projected by the club. Of that total, 15% comes from Betano, while the other 5% comes from the agreement with Brax. At the same time, president Luiz Eduardo Baptista, known as Bap, estimates losses of more than R$ 400 million. The board is already considering Lubrax as a possible replacement in the main sponsorship spot.

The Rubro-Negro is also taking part in the clubs’ collective response. On September 17, Flamengo joined other teams in publishing the “End of Football” manifesto in defense of the regulated market. After the executive order was published, the government began preparing a meeting with club executives to discuss the financial impact.

As of Monday night (28), Fux had not ruled on the suspension requests. As a result, the October 5 deadline remains the marker for the end of betting operations in the country.

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