Portugal's Secretary of State for Sport Laurentino Dias has surprised many by coming out in what appears to be support for the liberalization of Portugal's sports betting market.

Dias has stunned those in favour of protectionism by stating that the government would be 'reflecting' on the country's sports betting laws in the coming months. The development comes in the wake of a concerted effort by the Portuguese Football Federation to urge their government to allow the league and its teams to enter into lucrative sponsorship agreements with EU betting operators. 

Portuguese football is struggling in the current financial climate, and the loss of potential revenue streams caused by their country's legislation, is only making things worse.  What's more, the Portuguese government themselves are losing out on huge revenues that they could be earning via taxation.

Hermino Loureiro, President of the Portuguese Football League said: "At this point in time, nobody wins. The State is losing, as it is not generating any tax revenues.  The Ministry of Finance recently spoke of the need to generate new fiscal revenues, and through legalized betting, sport could make its contribution."

What makes this development even more interesting is that it has come in a country which was only recently at the centre of a landmark case in the ECJ, in which its monopoly, Santa Casa, were effectively granted permission to continue being the sole provider of online gambling, in order to 'protect Portuguese consumers'.

The win for the monopolies was deemed hugely significant and it was quickly championed across Europe by those operators and politicians in favor of strict limitations on its gambling industry.

The fact that the Portuguese Sports Minister is now considering a U-turn is hugely significant and typically, we at right2bet are delighted with the news.

Credit must go to the Portuguese Football Federation, who have worked hard to lobby its government into seeing sense. Clearly they still have some way to go before their needs are met, yet it is most certainly a start, and results such as this act to inspire ourselves, to continue our campaign for a fairer Europe.