Brazil courts order betting sites to remove football players' names

Courts in the Brazilian states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais have issued injunctions requiring betting platforms to remove the names, images, and professional attributes of four football players. The decision affects companies including Cassino Bet, Verabet, Bet365, and Betano. The athletes involved are Gabriel Barros (América Mineiro), Guilherme Costa Marques (Atlético Goianiense), Gustavo Vilar (Botafogo-SP), and Ricardo Bueno (Pouso Alegre FC).

The judiciary cited the urgency of the matter due to concerns regarding match-fixing investigations and the commercial exploitation of athletes' identities without authorization. While the players claim they receive no payment for these uses, betting companies argue that current legislation exempts them from individual contracts, noting that a percentage of revenue is already allocated to the National Sports System.

Separately, legal data indicates a significant surge in litigation involving online betting companies in Brazil. Minas Gerais ranks as the fourth state with the highest volume of lawsuits against these platforms. Research by Predictus shows a sharp increase in legal actions following the regulation of the sector in late 2023, with consumer complaints to Procon in Minas Gerais already exceeding 2025 totals within the first seven months of 2026.