Brazilian Federal Police blocked and seized assets and values of up to R$951.1 million in Operation Slots, a probe into an alleged illegal sports-betting network that authorities say was used to launder money tied to drug trafficking. The judicial measures also covered luxury vehicles and a high-end property.
According to G1, the operation was launched on 15 July and involved 14 search-and-seizure warrants and two temporary arrest warrants issued by the 2nd Criminal Court of Vitória. The warrants were executed across Espírito Santo, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, Paraíba and Sergipe.
Investigators said the suspected group relied on digital influencers to promote unlicensed betting sites and on front companies to conceal the origin of the funds. They also said betting revenue moved through companies created to make tracing the money harder.
The websites were alleged to have used symbols and references to the Ministry of Finance’s SIGAP system and to Conar, the advertising self-regulator, to create a false appearance of legality. Authorities said the platforms promoted by the suspects did not have authorisation to operate in Brazil.
The judicial orders also barred those under investigation from promoting irregular betting platforms and suspended the activities of companies linked to the scheme. Folha Vitória reported that influencer Thayna Endringer and her husband were arrested, while their defence lawyer, Vitor Ferreira, said evidence had been presented to police that contradicted the investigation’s findings.
The Brazilian government said those under investigation may face charges including illegal gambling, money laundering, organized crime, drug trafficking and conspiracy to traffic drugs.
A TCU audit published in May set the case against a wider backdrop. It said fixed-odds betting was created by Lei 13.756/2018, while Lei 14.790/2023 later defined rules for authorisation, oversight and control and designated the Ministry of Finance as regulator. The ministry then created the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets, or SPA/MF, by decree in 2024.
The audit said SIGAP is central to checking the legality of bets placed in Brazil, and warned that illegal operators do not follow the ministry’s security and oversight rules and can be used for money laundering. Citing an LCA Consultoria Econômica study, it estimated that the illegal fixed-odds market accounts for 41% to 51% of the segment’s total betting volume and generates annualised revenue of R$26 billion to R$40 billion. It also said the SPA/MF balance disclosed on 25 August 2025 put gross gaming revenue in the first half of 2025 at R$17.4 billion.
