IBJR and ANJL take anti-ban manifesto to Brasileirão matches

The Instituto Brasileiro de Jogo Responsável (IBJR) and the Associação Nacional de Jogos e Loterias (ANJL) are taking their "Proibir não é proteger" manifesto to Brasileirão matches, with pitch boards and team shirts, the associations announced. The activation returns in 10 matches from Friday 16 October, in a new format, during the 31st round of the Campeonato Brasileiro.

Besides the manifesto, the pitch boards will carry messages from the "Aposto que você não sabia" campaign, which the associations describe as providing clear and verified information about the betting market in Brazil. The phrases include "Proteção de verdade começa com regras", "O Brasil proibiu e o mercado ilegal invadiu" and "Regulamentar é proteger".

The associations said the initiative is part of a national mobilisation by bodies representing licensed betting houses, aimed at showing fans and the public the effects of Medida Provisória 1.394/2026. The campaign addresses possible effects on investment in clubs and competitions, player-protection mechanisms, revenue directed to public policies and the risks of growth in the clandestine market.

Carlos Lima, executive president of the IBJR, said the message was being taken to stadiums because the public needs to know what is at stake. He said prohibition had not made demand for betting disappear but had opened space for the illegal market, removed protections for bettors and weakened monitoring and mechanisms to combat match manipulation.

Plínio Lemos Jorge, president of the ANJL, said Brasileirão matches have high visibility and reach, and that the associations were again taking their message about the consequences of an abrupt and unjustified extinction of the regulated market. He said the main consequence is the absence of protection for bettors, who remain exposed to the risks of more than 30,000 active illegal betting sites in the country.

The manifesto, signed by the IBJR and the ANJL, argues that prohibition does not end betting in the country but ends protection for those who bet. It warns of the advance of the clandestine market, which it says is exploited by organised crime to launder money, reach minors and carry out digital scams against the most vulnerable. The associations also said they remain available to discuss with the National Congress and civil society possible measures to improve the regulatory framework, with attention to mental health and stricter action against illegal sites.

The IBJR was founded in 2023 and brings together betting companies in Brazil and abroad, according to the associations. Its stated mission is to build an online betting ecosystem that is sound, sustainable and responsible, with work based on combating the clandestine market and promoting responsible gambling.