Arthur Lira (PP-AL), president of the Chamber of Deputies, gave his approval and should make an effort to collect signatures for the installation of a sports betting CPI later this month, with the objective of investigating the manipulation of results of games of football in Brazil related to the betting modality.
The leader of the PSB in the Chamber of Deputies, Felipe Carreras (PE), is in charge of collecting the necessary signatures for the installation of the commission. He claims that, as soon as the minimum number of 171 supports is reached, Lira will be able to install the commission later this month.
The deputy took on this task of collecting signatures because he is the president of the parliamentary front in defense of sport and has previous experience in issues related to sports betting. He acted as rapporteur for the National Gambling System and the update of the Pelé Law.
The initiative to create the CPI came in response to an investigation by the Public Ministry of Goiás (MPGO). On February 14, the MPGO launched the Maximum Penalty Operation, which aims to investigate the manipulation of results of Serie B games of the 2022 Brazilian Championship.
CPI of sports betting and the investigation of match fixing
The investigation is being conducted by Gaeco (Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime) and by GFUT (Special Action Group in Major Football Events) and began in November last year.
“Determined fact investigated by the MP of Goiás. Even athlete punishment and departure from the club already existed. There are several signs of match fixing in Brazilian football. Already reached the 2nd division. In series C and D it is a festival and it is going up, and I have no doubt that it exists in [series] A”, said Carreras.
At the time, the MPGO received a complaint from Vila Nova Futebol Clube, a team based in Goiânia (GO), which alleged the manipulation of three matches of Série B of the Brazilian Championship to meet the interests of bettors.
According to Gaeco, the investigated scheme would have involved the co-option of athletes to commit penalties in the first half of the games. The three matches under investigation are:
- Criciúma vs Tombense, November 5, 2022;
- Sampaio Corrêa x Londrina, on November 5, 2022;
- Vila Nova x Sport, on November 6, 2022.
In that last game, the MPGO reported that “despite the attempt at manipulation and the advance payment to the player, the penalty was not committed”.
According to the agency, it is still not possible to say with certainty the amounts involved, but estimates indicate that players received an advance of R$ 10,000 to carry out the combined action.
If the bet was successful, the athlete would receive another R$ 140,000. The expected profit from the bets was between R$ 500 thousand and R$ 2 million.
The sports betting CPI has great support from the current government and can be installed later this month if it reaches the required number of signatures.
