This Tuesday (10), Senator Soraya Thronicke, the rapporteur of the Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI) on Sports Betting, submitted her final report, spanning 541 pages. In the document, the senator recommends the indictment of 16 individuals and companies, including influencers Virgínia Fonseca and Deolane Bezerra. Additionally, she proposes 20 measures to curb the growth of the regulated betting sector, along with draft bills to amend existing legislation.
There was a request for review, and the chairman of the CPI, Senator Dr. Hiran, said that he will try to work with the president of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre, to extend the committee's term so that the vote on the report can take place next week. The deadline for the committee's activities ends this Saturday (14) and Alcolumbre had already indicated that the CPI will not be extended.
The 20 measures
Senator Thronicke outlined 20 restrictive measures targeting the sports betting and online gaming sector. For each measure, the rapporteur defines the concept and provides justification. The measures include:
1- Make it explicit in Law No. 14.790/2023 that public health takes precedence over economic interests
2- Ban the operation of online casinos
3- Prohibit the granting of tax incentives to betting companies
4- Limit the operating hours of online casinos
5- Create a specific criminal offense for unauthorized betting operations
6- Create a specific criminal offense for payments to unauthorized agents
7- Criminalize predatory betting advertisements
8- Ban "others' misfortune" clauses in advertising contracts with betting platforms
9- Prohibit promotions, rewards, or loyalty programs
10- Create a Fund to Combat Illegal Betting Platforms
11- Grant powers to Anatel (National Telecommunications Agency) to block illegal betting platforms
12- Enforce minimum pacing and ban speed-up functionalities
13- Require transparency to monitor playtime and losses
14- Prohibit individuals registered in the federal social assistance registry (CadÚnico) from betting
15- Create the National Betting Registry (CNA)
16- Establish annual adjustments for licensing fees
17- Enforce withholding income tax at the source and monthly tax assessment
18- Introduce control mechanisms through financial institutions and entities authorized by the Central Bank
19- Require operators to provide educational resources on gambling risks
20- Propose the creation of the National Platform for Auditing and Monitoring Games of Chance (PNAMJA)
The senator also made the following referrals:
To the Central Bank – to analyze documents of payment method companies that have provided or are providing services to betting operators.
To the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting, the Central Bank, and the Council for Financial Activities Control (Coaf) – to review and strengthen requirements for reporting suspicious transactions by online betting platforms and their financial intermediaries.
To the Public Prosecutor’s Office – for criminal investigation and accountability, and to the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting for administrative actions concerning individuals and companies that testified during the CPI proceedings.
Virgínia Fonseca and Deolane Bezerra
The report highlights that influencer Virgínia Fonseca admitted to using a simulated account to place bets during her livestreams, “constituting a form of misleading advertising.” The indictment for fraud (estelionato) is based on the "deception of followers who believed that real bets were being placed – not mere simulations."
As for Deolane Bezerra, the rapporteur points to crimes including fraud, money laundering, and participation in a criminal organization. Soraya alleges that Deolane is a hidden partner in the company Zeroumbet and acts illegally through intermediaries. The report also claims that both she and her children had financial transactions incompatible with their income tax declarations.
The senator also presents 17 bills in her report that aim to “contain the uncontrolled growth of online gambling.”
These include the prohibition of online casino games, protection of public health and players, criminalization of irregular activities under Law 14,790 and the bills presented, as well as restrictions on advertising in the sports betting sector and the establishment of limited hours for the offering and operation of sports betting.
Source: GMB
