A police operation in São Paulo has targeted a pair of social media influencers suspected of promoting illegal online casino platforms, as authorities continue to tighten oversight of digital gambling activity in Brazil.
The operation, carried out in a luxury condominium in Sorocaba, involved coordination between the Military Police’s Special Actions Battalion and the Public Prosecutor’s Office through its organized crime unit.
Two search warrants were executed as part of the investigation into alleged links between the individuals and unregulated gambling platforms.
According to local reports, the targets are a couple with a combined following exceeding one million users.
Authorities suspect the pair used their social media reach to promote and monetize illegal casino offerings, including illegal online games.
The individuals were also temporarily barred from using social media platforms, a measure that reflects the central role of digital channels in the alleged scheme.
No arrests have been officially confirmed, and further details remain under investigation.
Not the first, not the last influencer-betting related case in Brazil
In a similar case, another Brazilian influencer has been sentenced to five years in prison for promoting illegal online gambling platforms and laundering money, in a case that underscores growing enforcement against digital promotion of unlicensed betting.
The ruling found that Dheovana França used her social media profiles to advertise illegal gambling platforms between September 2023 and March 2024.
According to the court, the platforms promoted did not hold the required authorization from the Ministry of Finance, rendering the activity unlawful at the time.
Beyond illegal promotion, the investigation identified 258 financial transactions linked to money laundering, totaling BR10.4m over a six-month period.
The court concluded that multiple mechanisms were used to conceal the origin of funds, including transaction fragmentation, acquisition of luxury assets, use of intermediary companies and undervaluation in property purchases.
As part of the sentence, the court ordered the seizure of assets up to the total value obtained through the alleged scheme.
In addition to the prison sentence, the ruling imposes a BR1m fine for collective moral damages.
The defendant will begin serving her sentence under a semi-open regime, while her defense has indicated it will appeal the decision.
Brazil’s Senate is advancing legislation that could significantly restrict betting and gambling advertising across Brazil’s media channels
