Flamengo declares support for the regulated betting sector in Brazil

Flamengo issued a statement on social media this Friday (25) regarding the regulation of sports betting in Brazil. The club advocates that any changes preserve legal certainty and do not abruptly overturn rules that have already been established. In its statement, Flamengo points out that the country spent years discussing the regulation of the sector. Following approval by Congress and regulation by the government, companies invested in order to operate legally. Furthermore, they made commitments regarding oversight, taxation, and consumer protection. The club does not consider current regulations to be set in stone; on the contrary, it acknowledges that they can be improved and made stricter if necessary. It also advocates for penalties for those who violate the law; the caveat lies in the distinction between correcting problems and dismantling the regulatory framework. Why Flamengo highlights legal certainty For the club, changing the rules abruptly could affect companies and institutions that made decisions based on the regulations in force. According to this position, such predictability is not only in the interest of licensed betting operators; it also matters to those who invest in, contract for, and plan long-term activities in Brazil. Furthermore, the statement points to potential consequences for the sport. A change of this magnitude could affect professional football, youth divisions, women’s football, and Olympic sports. Championships also appear among the areas that could feel the effects. According to the released text, the impact is not limited to clubs with greater financial capacity. The sports industry involves direct and indirect jobs, media, marketing, and technology companies, suppliers, arenas, and service providers. Therefore, Flamengo considers that the discussion extends to various sectors linked to sports activity. What the position states regarding revenue collection The publication also addresses public revenue collection. The regulated market generates taxes and funds mandated by law, which are allocated to public coffers and areas of public interest. Against this backdrop, the club warns that a weakening of the legal market could reduce resources for the sport and lower national tax revenues. The position advocated therefore combines the refinement of rules and the holding of violators accountable with the maintenance of a predictable regulatory environment. Check out the statement from Flamengo: Brazil spent years debating how to regulate sports betting. Congress passed the legislation, the government issued regulations, and companies paid to operate legally in the country, making investments and complying with rules regarding oversight, taxation, and consumer protection. You cannot create a rule, get companies and institutions to make commitments based on it, and then—overnight—change the entire regulatory framework. No regulation is sacrosanct. If problems exist, the rules need to be improved. If they need to be tougher, so be it. Those who break the law must be punished. But there is a fundamental difference between refining a regulation and simply dismantling it. This is a matter of legal certainty. And legal certainty is not just a matter of interest to betting companies. It matters to any person, company, or institution that invests, enters into contracts, and makes long-term plans in Brazil, relying on the rules established by the State itself. The change has a major impact on Brazilian sports. A decision of this magnitude affects professional football, youth academies, women’s football, Olympic sports, and championships. Brazilian sports cannot be analyzed solely based on the financial reality of the highest-revenue clubs. It is not just the clubs that are affected; an entire chain feels the immediate impact: direct and indirect jobs, media, marketing, and technology companies, suppliers, arenas, service providers, and the broader economic ecosystem. It also affects public revenue. The regulated market generates funds through taxes and statutory allocations, which flow into public coffers and are earmarked for areas of public interest. Weakening the legal market could produce an especially bad combination: fewer resources for the sport and lower tax revenue for the country. O post Flamengo declares support for the regulated betting sector in Brazil apareceu primeiro em iGaming Brazil.