Legislation
Paraguay – Paraguay government rejects sports betting ban
By Phil - 6 January 2020
The Sports Commission of the Chamber of Deputies of Paraguay has rejected a bill that would have prohibited sports betting companies from using local football clubs for advertising. The bill was put forward by a number of liberal deputies. A previous attempt had been made at the end of November, but it was postponed due to lack of votes.
The legislative proposal would have modified article 77 of Sports Law No. 2874/06, so that it would prohibit professional sports clubs and athletes from advertising or promoting tobacco, strong alcoholic drinks and gambling. In their rationale, the authors of the amendment had pointed out that sport should not be used to promote potentially unhealthy activities.
A number of lawmakers now argue that a number of cases have also proven the incompatibility of the fair, and honest practice of sports and the promotion of sports betting and that as a result that laws governing sports need to be changed.
The impetus for change comes after a number of top tier football clubs in Paraguay said that they wanted to distance themselves from sports betting. Several presidents of First Division football clubs in Paraguay agreed to put forward a request to the Paraguayan Football Association (APF) asking that their clubs do not appear on betting platforms for both Paraguay’s domestic football cup competition and the first league cup.
In November Vice President of the Association, Carlos Sosa Jovellanos said that clubs were agreed that action had to be taken to counteract the possible damage to local football. The official said that clubs such as Cerro Porteño and Olimpia, which already have a commercial relationship with sports betting companies, would have to resolve the issue separately.
The measures come after an appeal was been made to the APF to open an investigation into Club Olimpia president Marco Trovato over his alleged involvement with sports betting company Apostala.
