Brazil: R$767M betting prizes for athletes/clubs unlocked
The Brazilian Congress has launched a series of meetings to resolve the deadlock that has paralyzed the distribution of R$767 million in funds derived from sports betting, intended for athletes, clubs, and federations.
According to Law 14,790/23, enacted in December 2023, part of the profits from the sports betting segment must be allocated to the payment of image rights and to national sports entities. However, the regulation does not precisely establish how the funds should be distributed, which has generated uncertainty among the beneficiaries.
The legal director of the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL), Pietro Lorenzoni, explained that the money is currently deposited in a special account “awaiting distribution rules.” He detailed that transfers to the Olympic committees and social organizations such as APAE, Pestalozzi, and the Red Cross are up to date, but the amounts directed to professional sports remain frozen.
“We want to pay it, but we need to know to whom and in what amount. For that, we need this distribution rule,” Lorenzoni stated, recalling that the 35 operators who are members of the ANJL transferred R$2.1 billion to beneficiary entities in the first half of 2025 alone.
The debate has revealed divisions among the various stakeholders involved. While betting companies maintain that the resources are of a private nature, representatives from the Ministry of Sports and the National Federation of Professional Football Athletes (Fenapaf) argue that these are public funds that must be distributed according to official criteria.
The president of Fenapaf, Jorge Borçato, defended that football should receive priority, being the sport with the highest volume of bets. “More than 50% of bets are directly related to the athlete: a yellow card, a goal. That is our fight: that the athlete receives more,” he emphasized, proposing a bill that establishes the distribution percentages.
From the Olympic sphere, judo three-time champion Rafael “Baby” Silva, vice president of the Athletes’ Commission of the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB), proposed channeling the funds through a decentralized fund, following the model of the Audiovisual Law (Law 8,685/93). Paralympic medalist Verônica Hipólito supported this proposal, considering that it would allow for more equitable management among the different sports.
For his part, lawyer Leonardo Costa, a specialist in sports law, suggested creating an entity similar to ECAD (Central Office for Collection and Distribution), which would transparently manage the rights and payments derived from betting.
The Ministry of Sports has already attempted to resolve the conflict through a public consultation and an executive decree, but without success. According to the national football secretary, Patrick Corrêa, legislative alternatives are being studied, including the presentation of a new bill or the review of pending vetoes to the General Sports Law (14,597/23).
The president of the Sports Commission, Deputy Laura Carneiro (PSD-RJ), called for consensus and stated that the priority is to guarantee legal certainty both to athletes and operators. “We are here to listen to everyone and decide the best path, whether by modifying the current legislation or drafting a new regulation,” she declared.
For the moment, the distribution of the R$767 million remains blocked, while Congress evaluates how to define a legal framework that ensures the proper allocation of funds without hindering the development of the new regulated sports betting market in Brazil.
Tags: Brasil, taxes, ANJL, Fenapaf