For the six Brazilian clubs in the Libertadores and the other two in the Copa Sudamericana, the so-called ‘Bets’ occupy the main space on the team's jerseys. This also applies to the three teams from Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador, and the two from Chile.
"In a growing regulated market like Brazil, South American tournaments can do wonders for brand growth among operators," said Alex Rose, CEO of InPlaySoft, an English company that works directly in the creation and development of platforms and providers for bookmakers.
Internacional, for example, signed the largest sponsorship deal in its history with Alfa.
"This shows that each of Inter's assets has become a strategic showcase for brands," said Alexandre Godoy, the club's head of sponsorship and advertising.
Neighbor
In Argentina, of the nine teams, only three are sponsored by a betting company. Even so, this is a remarkable performance considering that Argentine clubs only recently began signing partnerships with betting companies.
"It's a mature and regulated market in several countries, demonstrating the reality of investment in the major leagues in the Americas," says Nickolas Ribeiro, partner and founder of Ana Gaming, which owns the 7K, Vera, and Cassino brands.
The most recent addition was the giant River Plate, which last month announced Betano as its new master sponsor until mid-2027.
The figures were not disclosed, but market estimates indicate that the sponsorship was around US$6 million per year.
Boca Juniors also receives similar amounts from Betsson (R$40 million / US$7.4m per year). Racing, the recent champion of the Copa Sudamericana and Recopa, and also sponsored by Betsson, receives around R$12 million (US$2.25m) per year.
Disparity
The difference in the amounts paid to Brazilian clubs is enormous. At least 14 other Serie A clubs receive more than Boca Juniors and River Plate for their uniform master sponsorships.
Corinthians, Flamengo, and Palmeiras, for example, receive more than R$100 million (US$18.5m) per year from betting sponsorships, practically three times the amount of the biggest Argentine clubs.
In Brazil, it is estimated that sponsorships involving betting exceed R$1 billion (US$185m) per year.
Who competes in the Championships
- Brazil
Libertadores:
Botafogo (VBet)
Palmeiras (SportingBet)
Internacional (Alfa)
Fortaleza (Cassino)
São Paulo (SuperBet)
Flamengo (Fla.bet/Pixbet)
Copa Sudamericana:
Fluminense (Superbet)
Atlético-MG (H2Bet)
- Argentina
Libertadores:
Racing (Betsson)
River Plate (Betano)
Estudiantes
Vélez Sarsfield
Copa Sudamericana:
Independiente (Sportsbet)
Godoy Cruz
Lanús
Central Córdoba
Huracán
- Peru
Libertadores:
Universitario (Apuestatotal)
Copa Sudamericana:
Alianza Lima (Apuestatotal)
Cienciano (DoradoBet)
- Chile
Copa Sudamericana:
Universidad de Chile (Juga Bet)
Universidad Catolica (1xbet)
- Uruguay
Libertadores:
Peñarol
- Colombia
Libertadores:
Atlético Nacional (Betsson)
Copa Sudamericana:
América de Cali (BetPlay)
Once Caldas (BetPlay)
- Paraguay
Libertadores:
Libertad
Cerro Porteño (Aposta.LA)
- Equador
Libertadores:
LDU (Ecuabet)
Copa Sul-Americana:
Mushuc Runa (Ecuabet)
Independiente del Valle (Ecuabet)
- Bolivia
Copa Sul-Americana:
Bolívar
Source: Folha
