Flamengo & Fluminense strip betting logos to fight Lula’s ban
Flamengo’s Betano deal alone is the largest sponsorship contract in Brazilian football history.
The hit
Flamengo & Fluminense ditched the logos of betting sponsors Betano & Superbet for matching protest shirts reading “Banning isn’t protecting” at Sunday’s Fla-Flu derby, according to Latin Times. The move follows President Lula’s decree banning fixed-odds betting in Brazil & forcing clubs to strip sponsor branding within days.
Why it matters
For bettors & the industry, this is a market shutdown playing out mid-contract, with platforms ordered dark by October 6 & a Congress bill proposing prison time for anyone running or advertising betting operations. Clubs say the ban breaks deals signed under a 2023 law that opened the licensed market in January 2025.
The record
| Decree signed | September 25, 2026 (MP 1.394/2026, President Lula) |
|---|---|
| 2025 club sponsorship revenue | R$1.03bn across Série A |
| Flamengo’s Betano deal | R$268.5m per season, largest in Brazilian football |
| Projected football-wide losses | R$2.5bn (Flamengo, presented to Supreme Court) |
| First-round election result | Flávio Bolsonaro 47.03% vs Lula 45.16% (October 4) |
| Runoff date | October 25, 2026 |
What happens next
Brazil’s Supreme Court, with Justice Luiz Fux as rapporteur, is weighing constitutional challenges against the ban, with Flamengo accepted as amicus curiae, while the Attorney General’s Office pushes to keep it in force. The election outcome could reshape the political pressure on the ban either way.
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