Brazilian top-flight football club Corinthians has continued its primary sponsorship with Esportes da Sorte, a betting and gaming group, despite some licensing concerns.
Esportes da Sorte does not hold a licence in the state of São Paulo, where Corinthians are based in the state’s capital and eponymous city.,
However, as reported by SBC’s Brazil-focused betting industry news outlet SBC Noticias Brasil, the partners are confident that the agreement can continue under Brazilian regulations.
Corinthians asserted in a statement that the club “is authorised to continue displaying the Esportes da Sorte brand, according to the current contract, which continues to be fully complied with by the parties”.
Although Esportes da Sorte is not licensed in São Paulo, the partners are confident that their arrangement can continue due to the company’s registration in the state of Rio de Janeiro, where it holds a five-year licence with the Rio de Janeiro State Lottery (LOTERJ).
Companies licensed with LOTERJ had until recently been able to operate nationally in Brazil. This principle has been the subject of extensive legal conflicts, with the LOTERJ obtaining an injunction from the Federal District Judicial Section (SJDF), enabling firms to continue operating nationally under its licences.
This was ultimately suspended, however, on 5 October, as the Federal Regional Court of the 1st Region (TRF-1) opted to grant a request from the Brazilian Attorney General’s Office (AGU) to suspend the SJDF decision.
Yet, Corinthians and Esportes da Sorte are not phased by this, as on 10 October, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) decided to restrict football marketing by betting brands with only a state licence – with the exception of companies licensed by LOTERJ.
The partnership between the two firms should therefore be able to continue for the foreseeable future unless any further federal government legal actions intervene.
With Brazil set to launch a nationwide regulated gaming market in January 2024, something eagerly awaited by the betting industry and other sports stakeholders, partnerships with top-flight Serie A clubs like Corinthians present a valuable marketing opportunity for operators.
