1970-01-01 00:00:00
Palmeiras and Corinthians declared on Thursday (3) that they are following with apprehension the situation of Esportes da Sorte, which is not included in the list of betting houses authorized by the Ministry of Finance to operate in Brazil. Only bets regulated by the federal government can sponsor clubs.
The company is among the targets of Operation Integration, launched by the Civil Police of Pernambuco, which is investigating a criminal organization that allegedly earned around R$3 billion from illegal gambling and money laundering.
The case is part of the investigation that led to the arrest of influencer Deolane Bezerra and the indictment of country singer Gusttavo Lima.
In a statement, Palmeiras specified that they “received with surprise the news of the company’s absence” from the list released by the government on Tuesday (1). The bookmaker sponsors the women’s team of the Barra Funda team, as well as carrying out actions in the matches of the men’s team as the home team, through electronic scoreboards and content on social networks. The club receives R$18.5 million from the bookmaker.
The company also signaled interest in sponsoring the men’s team, but conversations stopped due to the ongoing investigation.
Also according to the press release, the Alviverde association has already contacted its legal office to monitor the case. The contract between the parties, signed in January this year, is valid until the end of the year.
Last month, when the Civil Police investigation became public, Palmeiras president Leila Pereira said the club had “rigidly” fulfilled its commitments to the club.
This Thursday (3) the Corinthians also spoke about the case for the first time. In a statement it said it “reaffirmed its trust in Esportes da Sorte, which has fully complied with the contract.”
Also according to the press release, the club specified that “it is in contact with the partner and has sent a request for clarification on the status and next steps of the regularization processes of the operation”.
Since the suspicions became public, Corinthians president Augusto Melo was invited to Parque São Jorge to ask for explanations from Esporte da Sorte, as well as guarantees that the company’s commitments to the club will be respected.
Since the operation resulted in the freezing of Esportes da Sorte’s accounts, there is fear in Parque São Jorge that the partner may delay or even be unable to pay the installments of the sponsorship contract. The east zone club signed a contract in July, a deal worth R$309 million with a duration of three years.
Also worrying is the company’s promise, included in the contract, to help the club finance the purchase of a famous player. The team’s chosen one was the Dutchman Memphis Depay, with experiences at Manchester United, Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid.
Despite the ongoing investigations, the Juventus association is confident that the sponsor will pay R$57 million of the R$70 million package for Depay’s hiring.
When questioned about the report, Esportes da Sorte said in a statement that it had always been committed to “transparency and in favor of regulation”.
“So much so that Grupo Esportes da Sorte has complied with all the requirements of the ordinances SPA/MF No. 827/2024 and SPA/MF No. 1.475/2024 and has delivered all the corresponding documentation within the deadlines established in the respective ordinances,” said the company, which believes there is a system error and which will be regularized shortly.
“We are already in contact with the Prizes and Betting Secretariat to request further clarifications, as there is no legal obstacle to the continuation of our activity, which has always been carried out in compliance with the regulations of the Federal Government”, specifies the bookmaker.
On Wednesday evening (2), the Prizes and Betting Secretariat released the list of companies authorized to operate in Brazil, but Esportes da Sorte is not among the 12 new bets listed.
The government attributed the reclassification to errors in the system for receiving notifications. “A company and its bets were included in the list after verifying that the request had been duly signed by a legal representative authorized by the company,” the files read.
Still without authorization to operate in the country, Esportes da Sorte suffered its first defeat among clubs with which it has ties. This Thursday, Atletico Paranaense announced that it had suspended its sponsorship of the bookmaker.
Announced last year, the deal represented the largest main sponsorship in the club’s history, valid for three years and worth R$50 million.
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