The final report of the CPI on Game Manipulation and Sports Betting will be read and voted on Wednesday (19), in a meeting scheduled to begin at 2:30 pm. According to the document, Senator Romário (PL-RJ), rapporteur of the CPI, requested the indictment of Bruno Tolentino for match-fixing. He is the uncle of player Lucas Paquetá, a former Flamengo athlete who currently plays in English football.
Other indictments in the Betting CPI
In addition, Romário also requested the indictment of businessmen William Pereira Rogatto and Thiago Chambó Andrade, accused of similar crimes. However, the CPI decided not to indict businessman Bruno Lopez, who confessed to involvement in the manipulation of games, due to an agreement signed with the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
“This CPI showed that practically all recent competition manipulation scandals were related to betting on isolated events, especially those cases involving renowned athletes,” Romário highlighted in his report.
He also highlighted that spot bets would facilitate manipulation by bettors and criminal groups, without necessarily altering the result of the match.
To combat these practices, Romário defended the restriction of this activity and recommended that sports entities inform athletes about current legislation and possible punishments.
Legislative proposals to combat match-fixing
The final report presents a constitutional amendment and three bills. The proposed amendment makes it mandatory for citizens to appear before CPIs, and may even involve the use of police force if necessary.
The Federal Supreme Court (STF) decided that influencer Deolane Bezerra did not need to testify before the CPI, which led to the preparation of this proposal.
The first bill increases the penalty for fraud in sporting events, establishing a prison sentence of four to ten years and a fine. In addition, the proposal establishes the crime of fraud in the betting market and provides for punishments for athletes who share privileged information.
The second bill establishes mandatory warnings about the risks of gambling, which must be published by betting operators. The third bill aims to restrict betting on isolated events during sports competitions.
Finally, the CPI will share all the documentation produced with the Federal Police and the Public Prosecutor’s Office. In addition, the information will be forwarded to other institutions, such as the Civil House and the Ministries of FTreasury, Justice, Sports and Health. In this way, each area will be able to take specific measures as necessary.
