On Wednesday, the Federal Police carried out “Operation Slots” with technical support from the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA). This Federal Police action against illegal betting operations targeted a group suspected of using underground platforms to launder money linked to drug trafficking.
By court order, assets and funds totaling up to BRL951.1 million ($190.22 million) were frozen. A high-end property and luxury vehicles were also seized. The individuals under investigation are prohibited from promoting irregular betting platforms, and the operations of companies linked to the scheme have been suspended.
This is the third operation conducted in July with SPA’s technical support to combat illegal online betting. It reinforces the “zero tolerance” stance toward illegal betting operations advocated by the Ministry of Finance’s Dario Durigan.
Concealment of assets and accumulation of wealth
According to the investigation, the group used digital influencers to promote unauthorised betting sites operating illegally in Brazil. Funds generated by the betting activities were routed through companies established to hinder the tracing of the money.
The Federal Police investigation into illegal betting operations also reveals that the suspects amassed assets far exceeding what would be expected based on their officially declared income. Furthermore, the use of shell companies was identified.
Counterfeiting of government stamps
Illegal platforms have been found to display symbols and references linked to the Betting Management System (Sigap) of the SPA and the National Advertising Self-Regulation Council (Conar). The aim was to create a false impression of legitimacy, even though they lacked authorisation to operate in the country. Furthermore, funds deposited by bettors were routed to companies unauthorised to conduct such activities.
In total, 14 search and seizure warrants and two temporary arrest warrants were executed. These were issued by the 2nd Criminal Court of Vitória (Espírito Santo) and carried out in the states of Espírito Santo, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, Paraíba, and Sergipe.
Those under investigation in this Federal Police operation against illegal betting sites could face charges related to the operation of games of chance, money laundering, criminal organisation, drug trafficking, and conspiracy to traffic drugs.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/offshore-gaming/brazil-federal-police-operation-illegal-betting/
