Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies has approved Bill No. 6133/25, advancing plans to establish the Federal University of Sport named ‘UFEsporte‘. a Brasília-based public institution dedicated to sport science and high-performance development.

Under the proposal, part of the university’s funding will be sourced from revenues generated by Brazil’s fixed-odds betting market, administered by the Ministry of Sport (MESP). The measure marks another instance of Brasília linking the newly regulated betting sector to targeted public policy initiatives.

The bill was submitted by the Executive Branch on 3 December 2025. Congressman Julio Cesar Ribeiro acted as rapporteur and introduced amendments to the original text. 

According to Agência Câmara de Notícias, Ribeiro removed references to “misogyny, racism and gender” from a section outlining the university’s objectives in addressing social issues in sport.

Government leader in the Chamber, José Guimarães, framed the project as a long-standing demand of Brazil’s sporting community.

“This has been discussed for a long time. Brazilian athletes have consistently called for a university dedicated to sport, both as a centre for athlete development and as a body capable of shaping national sporting guidelines across disciplines,” he stated.

Opposition lawmakers, including Alberto Fraga and Julia Zanatta, criticised the proposal as “electoral and populist”, arguing that the federal government should prioritise stabilising existing educational institutions before launching new ones.

The bill will now move to the Federal Senate for further consideration. According to the legislative text, UFEsporte will focus on:

• Training specialised professionals capable of managing public sports policy;
• Developing expertise in the administration of sports organisations and high-performance athlete preparation;
• Promoting scientific and technological research applied to sports governance and elite training;
• Advancing equity in sport, including greater visibility and funding for women’s disciplines;
• Expanding accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities, with an emphasis on Paralympic sport; and
• Combating violence and discrimination within sporting environments.

Beyond betting revenues, the federal government plans to support UFEsporte through asset transfers, partnership agreements with national and international institutions, and additional supplementary funding streams.

The proposal further reinforces the growing policy linkage between Brazil’s regulated betting framework and federal funding initiatives — a theme likely to remain central as the market continues to mature in 2026.

The creation of UFEsporte comes against a backdrop of significant fiscal recalibration for Brazil’s online gambling regime. At the close of 2025, Congress and the Senate approved amendments to the federal tax framework, increasing the levy on online gaming gross gaming revenue from 12% to 15% as part of a broader restructuring of the sector’s fiscal obligations.

Meanwhile, the Senate has returned from its summer recess to advance discussions on a standalone federal law governing gambling advertising. Lawmakers are currently reviewing proposals that range from tighter marketing controls to a sweeping prohibition on betting advertising and sponsorship. 

An outright ban has been publicly supported by Senator Damares Alves (Republicanos-DF), intensifying debate over the long-term commercial parameters of the Bets regime.