Brazilian court allows Betano to use player names for betting

A Brazilian judge has ruled that the betting operator Betano is permitted to use the names of professional athletes to facilitate sports betting markets without individual civil contracts for each player.

In a decision involving player Ricardo Bueno, Judge Túlio Marcos Faustino Brandão stated that structuring betting markets around real sporting events requires referencing players and occurrences to establish odds. The court found that the participation of professional athletes in public competitions is a matter of public interest.

The ruling noted that under Law 13.756/2018, a percentage of betting revenue is allocated to sports entities and athletes, serving as compensation for the use of names and data. Consequently, the judge determined that constitutional image rights protections do not apply in this specific context. Legal counsel for Bueno has indicated plans to appeal the decision.