Bet you didn't see that coming? Brazilian singer Anitta, who has publicly criticised the betting industry, has been named in messages reportedly describing plans to launch what businessman Daniel Vorcaro called the country’s “biggest” betting platform.
According to reports on messages recovered by Brazil’s Federal Police (PF) from Vorcaro’s phone, the founder of Banco Master said he had already secured agreements involving Anitta, other Brazilian media personalities and media company Globo, which is a partner of BetMGM.
The messages reportedly were part of Vorcaro’s plans to expand beyond banking and establish a major presence in Brazil’s online betting market.
However, the reported exchanges do not, on their own, establish the final terms of any agreements or confirm that the proposed platform was launched.
The messages raise questions about the proposed venture, although the material reported so far does not establish the singer’s precise role in it.
The same messages reportedly referenced plans for a casino at São Paulo’s Jockey Club, in partnership with Hard Rock Café, with projected annual revenue of $1bn. Vorcaro allegedly claimed the project had political backing in Brasília. The banker has also been reported to have close business ties to Flávio Bolsonaro, who is running for Brazil’s presidency, since 2024.
The Jockey Club has separately been the subject of a widening corruption investigation.
The proposed betting venture is linked to the wider scandal surrounding Banco Master, the financial institution founded by Vorcaro. The Central Bank ordered the bank’s liquidation in November 2025 after investigators uncovered suspected large-scale financial fraud, including allegedly fictitious credit assets and questionable transactions involving state-owned Banco de Brasília.
The reported messages also mentioned influencer Virginia Fonseca, who was allegedly approached about participating in a campaign for Vorcaro.
The Banco Master scandal also involves allegations of irregular payroll-deducted loans and unauthorized deductions from retirees’ and pensioners’ benefits
