TLDR
- The Uruguayan Football Association asked the government for help avoiding fines linked to betting ads during the Copa Libertadores final.
- The final will be played at Estadio Centenario in Montevideo on November 28th.
- Uruguay bans promotion of gambling companies not licensed in the country, including ads on visiting teams’ jerseys or in stadiums.
- President Yamandú Orsi met with football officials but ruled out changing the country’s gambling law.
- Officials are instead looking for a practical solution that applies specifically to international sporting events.
The Uruguayan Football Association has asked the national government for help avoiding fines tied to betting advertisements. The issue centers on the Copa Libertadores final, which will be played in Montevideo later this year.
AUF President Ignacio Alonso met with CONMEBOL President Alejandro Domínguez and Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi to discuss the matter. Local news outlets reported on the meeting this week.
The final will take place at Estadio Centenario on November 28th. It is expected to draw a large international audience.
Why the Fines Happen
Uruguay has strict rules around online gambling promotion. The country bans advertising for betting companies that are not licensed to operate there.
This creates a problem during international matches. Visiting teams often wear jerseys or play in stadiums that carry ads for betting brands approved in their home countries.
Those same brands are not approved in Uruguay. When their logos appear on broadcasts, it can trigger a fine under national law.
CONMEBOL passes these fines on to the host club or association. That means Uruguayan football institutions end up paying penalties for advertising they did not choose to display.
The report notes that most Brazilian teams competing in the Libertadores or Sudamericana carry a betting sponsor. This makes the issue a recurring one for Uruguay whenever it hosts continental matches.
Government Response
President Orsi addressed the situation after meeting with football officials. He said the government is not planning to change the underlying gambling law.
“We did not analyze legally changing that; that was not the proposal,” Orsi said, according to broadcaster Telenoche.
He did acknowledge the difficulty the rule creates. Visiting teams often arrive with sponsorship deals already in place that follow their own country’s laws, not Uruguay’s.
Orsi described the situation as a recurring risk hanging over Uruguayan sports institutions. He compared it to a sword of Damocles, since the fines can appear at any time a foreign team shows up with a betting sponsor.
The president also drew a distinction between two kinds of advertising. Static ads inside a stadium can be managed by organizers, he said, while sponsorships worn by a visiting team are harder to control.
“One thing is static advertising or the signal that appears on screen, which can be managed. But when a team comes, it is difficult,” Orsi said.
No specific fix has been announced yet. Officials are still working to find an approach that applies to international events without changing the country’s broader gambling advertising law.
The Copa Libertadores final on November 28th may serve as an early test of whatever solution the government puts in place. Uruguayan clubs and officials are watching closely, since the outcome could shape how future international matches are handled under the country’s betting ad rules.
