Blaze informed the Federal Police (PF) about the participation of five individuals in bets linked to the yellow card received by Bruno Henrique in the game against Santos, in the 2023 Brasileirão. The information was provided during investigations into a match-fixing scheme involving the Flamengo player and people close to him.
According to Blaze, bettors made a profit of R$3,896 after Bruno Henrique’s punishment. The group invested R$1,948 in total, receiving R$5,844 from the yellow card alone.
Among the bettors are Douglas Ribeiro, who made two bets — one of R$64 with a return of R$192 and another of R$150 with a profit of R$450; Rafaela Cristina, who bet R$634 and obtained R$1,902; Claudinei Vitor, an investment of R$600 resulting in R$1,800; and Andryl Sales, who bet R$500 and won R$1,500.
According to the PF, this is the second group of gamblers identified in the case. Initially, a group made up of the player’s family members was found.
Bruno Henrique’s involvement
The police detected Bruno Henrique’s active participation in the scheme, a previous suspicion. The exchange of messages between the player and his brother, Wander Nunes Pinto Júnior, corroborated the theory. One of the conversations, taken from Wander’s cell phone, shows Bruno reporting his intention to receive a yellow card.
Bruno’s brother, in turn, mentions “saving money” to bet. According to the Federal Police, 3,989 messages from the player’s WhatsApp were analyzed, although many have already been deleted. The remaining content was used as the basis for the athlete’s indictment for fraud and sports fraud.
Blaze Positioning
In a statement, Blaze emphasized that it is fully cooperating with the investigations, within the scope of Brazilian law. The company mentioned that, in accordance with the Brazilian Internet Civil Rights Framework (Law No. 12,965/14) and the Money Laundering Law (Law No. 9,613/98), it provided the basic registration data requested by the Federal Police. The disclosure of detailed financial information will depend on a court order.
Blaze reaffirmed its commitment to sports integrity and condemned illicit practices. In addition, it highlighted that it operates legally in Brazil with a license from the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets of the Ministry of Treasury and is ready to support the authorities when necessary.
