With no renewal from Betfair, Vasco step up talks for new main sponsor | OneFootball

Vasco da Gama ended 2025 without a main sponsor. After a year and a half of partnership, Betfair did not renew the contract, which expired on December 31, and chose not to exercise the renewal clause provided in the agreement.

Given the situation, the Vasco board is racing against time to announce a new partner for the 2026 season. Currently, the club is in talks with at least two betting houses: ZeroUm and EnergiaBet.

ZeroUm is licensed by ZeroUmBet and, according to a public inquiry at the Ministry of Finance, operates by judicial decision while undergoing a period of adaptation and regularization to the rules established by the federal government. The company gained notoriety for having previously belonged to lawyer and influencer Deolane Bezerra, investigated in Operation Integration in September 2024. Due to the alleged “untrustworthiness” of the former administrator — who later sold the company — ZeroUm was not included in the so-called “positive list” of the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets, but obtained judicial authorization to operate in the national market in November last year.

+ “R$ 389 MILLION”: Vasco buys jewel definitively and sets astronomical termination fee

Betfair did not renew sponsorship with Vasco — Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco

Meanwhile, EnergiaBet is part of the Responsa Gamming group, as reported by journalist Gilmar Ferreira. In December, the company even made a proposal to Corinthians to take over the main sponsorship, but negotiations did not progress. The project included the creation of the club's own bet, a model that provided for fixed remuneration, profit sharing, and variable earnings. According to company estimates, revenue could exceed R$ 600 million in a three-year contract, a proposal that did not excite the Corinthians board.

In Vasco's case, the SAF is seeking a financially more robust agreement than the one made with Betfair. At the time, the contract provided for amounts that could reach R$ 70 million, conditioned on goals considered unrealistic by the current management and which were not achieved. Now, the club demands a minimum fixed amount at this level, in addition to protection clauses, such as high fines and financial guarantees to avoid default risks.

+ Vasco's key player recovers from injury and Diniz already has the substitute

Vasco flag in São Januário — Photo: André Durão / ge

With the Carioca Championship about to start and the Brazilian Championship scheduled for the end of January, there is a possibility that Vasco will start the season without a main sponsor on the uniform. The Betfair brand has already been removed from the list of partners displayed on the club's official website.

+ Follow Papo na Colina's social networks: Thread, Bluesky, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok and Google News.

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