Criminal factions, such as First Capital Command (PCC), Red Command (CV), and “Jogo do Bicho” (gambling) mafias are already competing for shares of the sports betting market. Newspaper O GLOBO found police investigations in states such as Rio, Ceará, and Rondônia that indicate the use of online betting, legalized in Brazil since 2018, to maximize or launder revenue from illicit activities. The onslaught of criminal organizations was mixed with territorial fights, including murders, fires, and attacks on betting points.
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Prison in Ceará
In April, the Federal Police arrested two relatives of Marcos Willians Herbas Camacho, Marcola, one of the heads of the PCC, in an operation that investigated the involvement of the São Paulo faction with betting shops in Ceará. The investigation found that Marcola’s nephew posted advertisements for Fourbet, an online sports betting platform, on his social networks. In the arrest of Marcola’s sister-in-law, the PF found a bank transfer receipt and a note with references to Menesclau de Araújo Souza.
Menesclau was appointed as responsible for the PCC’s accounting in Ceará and participated in the management of Loteria Fort’s physical units in the state, according to the investigation.
Online Betting
Online betting can be considered a new frontier for groups that have always sought to diversify their activities. The preferred markets for these groups are those with weak regulation and supervision. Bets represent an opportunity for relatively small amounts per bet but with a large network of operations. In addition to this movement of money from the illegal to the legal economy, criminal organizations seek to enter into activities that can be profitable themselves.
Rio de Janeiro
In Rio, the mafia that dominates “Jogo do Bicho” and slot machines have also expanded into betting. One of the bicheiros who has already diversified his business is Rogério Andrade. An email from one of his employees, found by the MP, reveals that the gang was engaged in creating a betting site outside the country as early as 2020.
Monopoly
Bicheiros also tries to impose on the digital world the monopoly they exercise on the city’s street corners. In an exchange of messages via cell phone, obtained by the MP, one of Andrade’s managers warns his interlocutor, interested in operating football bets placed on a website, not to host the operation in regions under the bookmaker’s influence.
Murder
The dispute over this digital market was also the backdrop to the execution of lawyer Rodrigo Marinho Crespo, in February, in downtown Rio. For the MP, Crespo disturbed the vested interests of a criminal organization operating in the betting industry by purchasing website domains.
Rondônia
In Rondônia, the PF identified in 2021 that the person responsible for a betting website was laundering money from shipments of marijuana and cocaine to the CV in eight Brazilian states. According to the investigation, the money was injected into the bet Rondo Esportes, owned by Leandro Blumer, and then left in the form of prizes paid to the gang members themselves. At the height of the operation, the house paid almost R$13 million to bettors in just one week.
Analysis:
The infiltration of criminal factions into the online sports betting market in Brazil represents a strategic evolution that could significantly strengthen the power of these organizations and bring serious consequences for public security. The legalization of online betting, which should be a measure to regularize and control a potentially lucrative market, is being explored by groups such as the PCC and the CV to diversify their sources of income and launder money arising from illicit activities. This new border provides these factions with an effective way to move large amounts of money discreetly, making detection and repression by authorities difficult.
This economic growth can be translated into greater political and social influence, eroding public trust in institutions and increasing corruption. Furthermore, violent competition for control of this market, with murders and attacks on betting points, can intensify urban violence, exacerbating insecurity in affected communities.
For public security, the entry of criminal factions into the online betting market represents a significant challenge. The complexity and sophistication of the financial operations involved require an equally sophisticated response from the authorities. Without strict regulation and effective inspection mechanisms, the online betting market could become a safe channel for money laundering and other illicit activities, making the fight against organized crime much more difficult.
Sources: O Globo [1].
