Brazil’s regulated gambling sector is maturing, and Flutter’s Marco Ferreira Elias tells Insider Sport that compliance is now a core strategy when it comes to building out the companies sponsorship portfolio.
Flutter’s Betnacional and Betfair betting brands have expanded their visibility across Brazil in recent years, with its logos adorning the likes of Cruzeiro and Vasco da Gama, and endorsed by superstars such as Vinicius Junior.
But Marco Ferreira Elias, Marketing and Responsible Gaming Specialist at Flutter Brazil, emphasises the company’s sponsorship strategy is one not built on simply grabbing a piece of the “attention economy”, but delivering an experience rooted in security and regulatory compliance.
Ferreira Elias speaks to Insider Sport ahead of his appearance at SBC Summit Rio on the importance of leveraging responsible gaming to attract new customers, using this as a sponsorship crutch, and becoming as visible as the likes of Spotify and Netflix to then compete for customer attention.
Brazil’s regulatory framework is reshaping how betting brands approach sponsorship. From a compliance perspective, what’s changed most dramatically?
The most dramatic change is that compliance has moved from being a bureaucratic checklist to becoming the central pillar of brand strategy.
Today, we understand that betting companies do not compete only with each other. We are an entertainment option. We compete for people’s leisure time in the same way as movies, concerts, Carnival, or dining out. That is why it is natural for sponsorships to extend beyond sports into culture and mass events.
However, this expansion brings the greatest regulatory challenge of all: the rigorous protection of minors and vulnerable individuals.
With the new rules, the bar has been raised significantly. In the past, the concern was visibility. Now, it is the suitability of the environment. If we are going to sponsor a festival or a Carnival block, compliance’s number one question is: “Can we guarantee that this activation will not reach anyone under 18?”
This has changed the way we negotiate. It is no longer enough for an event to have an audience; it must have control. Sponsorship now requires a kind of legal “vaccine”: guarantees that the event’s age rating is appropriate and that our brand will not interact with the wrong audience.
In short, the market has matured. We have moved away from seeking mere “exposure” to seeking “safe and responsible exposure.”
Sponsorship has long been driven by passion and visibility. How do you preserve that emotional connection while operating within tighter rules?
To preserve this emotional connection, we first need to understand who we are actually competing against. The battle is no longer just between betting operators. We compete for users’ time, attention, and choice against giants like Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, and social media platforms.
In this “attention economy,” strict rules are not an obstacle, but a necessary guide. Regulation has removed from the market the appeal of “easy money” and “life-changing wins.” This forces us to compete with entertainment platforms using the same weapons: the quality of the experience.
If I want a user to choose to place a bet on our platform instead of watching a series or scrolling through Instagram, I need to offer genuine entertainment. Betting and the possibility of winning, which are inherent to our activity, must be the “seasoning” that makes a game or event more exciting, not a source of financial anxiety.
We preserve passion by focusing on fun. Compliance ensures the environment is safe; marketing ensures it is engaging. That is how we maintain the emotional connection: by positioning betting as a valid and healthy leisure choice.
Responsible marketing is now central to sponsorship strategy. How should sports organisations adapt to this shift when working with licensed operators?
Sports organisations need to understand that their role has changed: they are no longer just sellers of advertising space, but active partners in integrity.
Adaptation must happen on several fronts.
First, legal certainty. A club’s top priority must be to verify whether the operator is duly authorised by the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA). Associating with an unlicensed company today is an incalculable risk.
Second, protection of minors and vulnerable individuals. Clubs hold valuable data and must adapt their communications to ensure that betting advertising never reaches underage or vulnerable audiences, strictly complying with regulations.
A crucial point is sports integrity. The responsibility for educating athletes lies with the club, but betting operators must come in as active partners in this process. A single case of match-fixing destroys an athlete’s career, stains the club’s history, and causes immense reputational damage to the sponsor.
The new sponsorship model must include collaborative education: the operator brings expertise on risks, and the club opens its doors for training. It is a mechanism of mutual defense.
Do you think regulation is forcing a more disciplined and sustainable sponsorship model, or creating friction for brands and rights holders?
I would say both are happening, but at different times. Friction is the immediate symptom of a market going through a professionalisation shock.
In the short-term, friction is inevitable. Rights holders must learn to say “no” to tempting financial proposals from companies without licenses or compliance structures. Brands, in turn, face more rigorous approval processes.
However, this friction is a necessary filter. It is separating serious operators, who are here to stay, from opportunists.
In the long-term, it undeniably drives a more sustainable model. The result will be an ecosystem in which sponsors have credibility and rights holders have security. It is a fair price to pay for the sector’s longevity.
What are the biggest compliance risks sports organisations should be aware of when entering sponsorship deals with betting operators today?
There are several risks that go far beyond the traditional financial risk of non-payment.
The first is the risk of illegal association. Under Law 14,790, promoting a brand that is not authorised by the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting is not just a commercial mistake, it is an infraction that creates joint liability. The club can be fined and penalised for promoting an illegal operation.
Another is reputational and integrity risk. The club needs to know whether the operator has monitoring tools, robust responsible gaming policies, and anti–money laundering measures, among others. If a scandal involving the sponsor breaks out, the club’s brand is immediately dragged into it.
Today, the risk is not just “not getting paid.” It is “getting paid with the wrong money.”
How important is alignment between marketing, compliance, and responsible gambling teams when activating sponsorships?
This alignment is the foundation of business agility. We need to move beyond the old view that compliance exists only to approve or reject something at the end of the process.
The modern role of compliance is not to be a watchdog, but a strategic advisor. When marketing, responsible gaming, and compliance teams sit at the same table from the start, we gain efficiency.
Compliance acts as a navigator: it guides decision-making by showing the regulatory boundaries so that marketing can accelerate creatively and safely within those limits.
If marketing works alone, it risks investing time in ideas that are not legally sustainable. If compliance guides the process from the concept stage, the project is born viable.
Looking ahead, do you expect sponsorship regulation in Brazil to tighten further, or stabilise as the market matures?
I see a stabilisation of the rules, but a natural increase in enforcement rigor.
The main architecture has already been built with the Law and the SPA ordinances. I do not expect drastic new laws constantly changing the structure. The market needs legal certainty to invest.
However, the decisive factor will be the behavior of the market itself. Regulation is a reflection of the sector’s maturity. If operators strictly follow the rules and genuinely practice responsible gaming, the scenario tends to stabilise.
On the other hand, if abuses occur, the regulatory response will inevitably be stricter. Therefore, it is we—the regulated players—who will define the future: the more effective our compliance and self-regulation are today, the less need there will be for new state interventions tomorrow.
As a panellist at SBC Rio, what message would you most like sports executives to take away about the future of regulated sponsorships?
The main message is this: the market must embrace “conscious sponsorship.” This applies to sports as well as to the entertainment and cultural sectors.
Everyone involved needs to understand that sponsorship money cannot come at the cost of institutional integrity. Choosing a partner today requires looking at ethics, not just the size of the check.
Conscious sponsorship means drawing red lines that cannot be crossed: we do not sponsor youth categories, we do not enter educational institutions, and we do not associate with events whose primary audience is under 18.
In addition, activations require surgical care. It is not enough for the brand to be present. It is essential to ensure that interactions do not impact vulnerable audiences. The future of the regulated market belongs to those who understand that protecting minors and vulnerable individuals is more important than any brand exposure.
Those who follow this path will have longevity. Those who ignore it will be left behind.
Secure your place with a VIP Event Pass for R$3000. Enjoy full access to all conference sessions, the exhibition floor, exclusive networking events, and complimentary food and drink at our Food Festival.
Bringing the team? Take advantage of our Group Pass Discount. Purchase three or more VIP Event Passes and pay just R$1800 per ticket.
Operator or affiliate? You may be eligible for a complimentary VIP Event Pass, which includes full access to the exhibition, conference, and exclusive networking events.
Expo+ Pass (R$500): Gain access to the full exhibition floor and all conference sessions. This does not include access to our exclusive VIP evening networking events.
Expo Only Pass: Free to attend, this pass gives you access to the exhibition floor – perfect for networking and exploring the show without attending the conference sessions.
