It is no secret that one of the biggest problems of Brazilian clubs is lack of resources. In an ideal world, clubs would own their own stadiums and efficiently manage their clubs in order to increase their annual revenue. However, most Brazilian stadiums are public, so states and municipalities can choose who manages these arenas. In general, companies with no connection to the clubs are chosen for this function, but, in theory, a club could act in the management of spaces such as Mineirão, Maracanã, Mané Garrincha, among others.
With that in mind, Flamengo and Fluminense proposed to the state of Rio de Janeiro that the clubs should be responsible for the administration of the Maracanã. Currently, for example, the company that manages it is Odebrecht, a company that does not have a good record in the country due accusations of corruption. And, according to Pedro Trengrouse, "the only reason that explains this situation is corruption. A contractor who builds a stadium does not have the smallest capacity to manage it", says the lawyer specializing in sports legislation.
The importance of PL 442/1991
The voting on the Bill of Regulatory Framework for Gaming in Brazil (PL 442/1991) is important for clubs to gain the right to run public stadiums. This is because one of the points of this project is the release of bingos in the stadiums that has capacity for more than 15 thousand people.
According to Trengrouse, stadiums can increase their revenue by up to (US$ 5.2m) per year just by using bingos. The bill provides for a limit of up to 300 gaming machines per stadium and, in addition, the license to operate the activity will be granted for 20 years, which may be extended for an equal period.
For the fan who also likes to place bets, the news sound good because currently bingos are prohibited. However, with the approval of the new law, fans will be able to entertain themselves at intervals with bingo. In addition, those who arrive earlier will also be distracted while waiting for the beginning of the game.
The truth is that the law that regulates bookmakers in the country requires a revision with some urgency. The bill is from 1991, it is almost 30 years of process and no definition on the subject. Meanwhile, online gaming houses do not have any kind of ban, but the servers are around the world, which means that the revenue from that operations, the jobs generated and taxes collected are also not in the country. For experts, the approval of PL 442/1991 will be important to increase the Union's tax collection.
Clubs are better stadium managers
Throughout the world there are several examples that prove that clubs can manage stadiums more efficiently than builders or other companies. Arsenal is the governing club for Emirates Stadium and, according to Trengrouse, the stadium accounts for almost half of the club's revenue.
Meanwhile, in Brazil, the clubs are practically limited to the box office receipts of the stadiums, without being able to explore the space for other activities such as shows and events. The organization of these activities is the responsibility of the company that manages the stadium. The consequence of this situation can be seen in the clubs' annual balance sheet in 2017, for example, when only about 5% of Cruzeiro's income came from the box office.
Another expectation is that clubs may eventually reduce the running costs of stadiums. The idea is that the experience and the exchange of information between the clubs allow them to manage stadiums more efficiently. It is true that in order to meet these expectations, teams will also have to embrace the cause. In other words, it is important that Brazilian clubs have more professional and less political management. Only then can we have a better managed and developed sports and football scene.
Source: GMB/ Diário Carioca
