Brazil moves to formalize Timemania revenue distribution among football clubs

According to  Agência Câmara de Notícias, the Sports Committee of the Brazilian lower house has approved a bill that establishes new guidelines for distributing funds from the Timemania lottery among football clubs. The proposal amends both the Timemania Law and the General Lottery Law.

The approved text is a revised version submitted by rapporteur Deputy Julio Cesar Ribeiro (Republicanos-DF) to replace the original draft of Bill 3723/21, which was introduced by Senator Veneziano Vital do Rêgo (MDB-PB). While the language was updated, the core objective of the legislation remains unchanged.

Under the proposed rules, 50% of the lottery funds would be distributed equally among all participating clubs, while the remaining 50% would be allocated based on the number of times each team is selected by bettors. This approach formalizes the current distribution model already outlined in regulations.

Deputy Julio Cesar Ribeiro stated in his report that the bill aims to codify this system into law to protect it from being altered by future administrative changes. "The change seeks to safeguard the benefits to the clubs by reinforcing the current model in legislation," he noted.

The legislation also includes a provision requiring the Timemania registration period to reopen every two years, allowing new clubs to join. "It's important to ensure that clubs from the same division have equal opportunities," Senator Veneziano Vital do Rêgo emphasized.

Timemania, a lottery operated by Caixa Econômica Federal, features football club brands and allocates 22% of the total revenue to participating teams. Bettors can select their favorite club when purchasing tickets, which directly influences how funds are divided.

Next, the bill will move forward for consideration by the Finance and Taxation Committee and the Constitution, Justice, and Citizenship Committee. As the proposal is being processed in a conclusive manner, it must be approved by both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate to become law.