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The proposal does not explicitly prohibit the display of betting brands on team jerseys, but some city councillors want to include this in the bill.
Clubs fear the measure will jeopardise revenue from betting company sponsorships. Corinthians (Esportes da Sorte), Palmeiras (Sportingbet), and São Paulo (Superbet) alone hold contracts worth BRL350 million annually with betting firms.
One concern is the measure might force clubs to host matches outside the city to maintain their advertising agreements.
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According to the court’s statement, the judges rejected challenges from gaming hall operators and said the city’s public decision was legally sound.
The ruling preserved a revenue measure the city says was designed to bring in up to €1 million according to the court’s own summary.
Andreas Braun, owner of four arcades in Wiesbaden, filed an objection and constitutional complaint against the tax rate in April last year according to local reporting. He argued that the tax rise had provided a ‘strangling’ effect to business and that it consumed operator profits.
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He said the regulation was well established and not with the intention of raising revenue.
“Tax collection is part of the economic game and all sectors contribute,” Durigan said. “The same happens with betting.”
He argued the sector should be treated with the same rigour currently applied to cigarettes.