Esportes da Sorte goes national with celebrity TV campaign
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- Brazilian sportsbook Esportes da Sorte has launched a national TV campaign titled “Fun is authorised” (“Tá autorizada a diversão”).
- The campaign debuted on March 15 on free-to-air networks SBT and Record, airing first in São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Salvador and Fortalez.
- The 30-second film features former Corinthians star Marcelinho Carioca, Cazé TV commentator Luis Felipe Freitas and GE TV analyst Bruno Formiga.
Brazilian sports betting operator Esportes da Sorte has launched a national advertising campaign, debuting on free-to-air television on Sunday, March 15.
The push marks the company’s most prominent above-the-line (ATL) campaign to date and takes the brand into living rooms across Brazil’s largest cities.
Celebrity-led creative
The campaign, titled “Fun is authorised,” is a play on the Portuguese phrase Tá autorizada a diversão. It leans into the culture of digital sports commentary, pairing former Corinthians and Brazil international Marcelinho Carioca with popular broadcaster Luis Felipe Freitas, known as Luisinho, of Cazé TV, and Bruno Formiga, a sports analyst at GE TV.
The 30-second main film presents in-game scenarios to highlight platform features, integrating them into the narrative of the “Casa do Chapéu,” a traditional Esportes da Sorte activation at events across Brazil.
The tagline draws directly on Luisinho’s on-air catchphrase, repurposed to position Esportes da Sorte as a platform where entertainment and betting converge. The campaign first aired during commercial breaks on SBT and Record, reaching audiences in São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Salvador and Fortaleza.
Marcelinho Carioca said:
“Football is Brazil’s greatest form of entertainment, and being with stars like Luisinho and Formiga in this campaign brings back that great dressing-room banter. At Esportes da Sorte, we play together with the audience, always keeping our focus on fun and responsibility.”
For Luis Felipe Freitas, the project strengthens his connection with viewers who follow his broadcasts:
“The catchphrase ‘Authorised’ is already part of my story, and now it takes on a new meaning. At Esportes da Sorte, we authorise emotion and fun from the start to the final whistle.”
Bruno Formiga commented:
“It’s great to be part of a project that connects game analysis with a light-hearted approach. As we say in the campaign, we aim for emotion and deliver fun for the audience.”
Sponsorship and brand footprint
Esportes da Sorte is operated by Grupo Esportes Gaming Brasil and holds a licence from Brazil’s Ministry of Finance (SPA/MF). The group also owns the brands OnaBet and Lottu, and sponsors clubs including Corinthians, Ceará, Ferroviária and Náutico, as well as major cultural events such as Galo da Madrugada and the Parintins Festival.
Marcelinho Carioca has served as a brand ambassador for Esportes da Sorte since September 2025, when the operator signed him ahead of the launch of Brazil’s regulated betting market. The former player scored 206 goals in 433 appearances for Corinthians, winning two Brazilian Championships, four São Paulo State Championships and a Copa do Brasil, while also scoring 86 goals from free kicks.
Camyla Lima, Creation and Branding Manager at Grupo Esportes Gaming Brasil, said:
“Esportes da Sorte is a catalyst for fun, authenticity and the experiences that make football a national passion. Having them as our partners connects essence, entertainment and fans in a genuine way.”
Regulatory backdrop
The campaign arrives at a delicate moment for Brazil’s betting sector. President Lula used a national address earlier this month to call for a ban on online casino games, describing gambling addiction as a tragedy for Brazilian households, despite having signed the law legalising digital gambling in 2023.
Days later, Senator Eduardo Girão introduced PL 1018/2026, a bill that would prohibit loyalty programs, cashback, gamification and personalised marketing communications across all licensed operators.
By centering its campaign on football culture and entertainment rather than bonuses or betting incentives, Esportes da Sorte appears to be calibrating its brand strategy ahead of a regulatory environment that could become significantly more restrictive before the end of the year.
The use of sports presenters and a former player, rather than explicit betting incentives, reflects an industry-wide trend of brand-building over direct-response marketing in newly regulated markets.
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