In recent years, the manipulation of results in football matches for illegal gains on betting sites has become a recurring theme. These cases become the subject of investigation whenever an alert is raised by betting integrity services.
Such monitoring is carried out by specialized companies, often hired by sports confederations and betting platforms.
The path of investigations into manipulation of results
Recently, the Ministry of Treasury established a partnership with four institutions dedicated to sweeping the sector. These actions aim to identify bets that raise suspicion and prevent fraud.
According to Mariana Chamelette, vice-president of the São Paulo Court of Sports Justice (TJD-SP), the accuracy of reports that indicate possible fraud “is similar to that of the biological passport, used in anti-doping testing”. Therefore, this demonstrates a high level of reliability in the information collected.
When allegations of manipulation reach the courts, one of the main ways is to track the money and discover who the gamblers involved are. The work includes understanding the relationships between bettors and athletes allegedly involved in fraud. But in the sporting sphere, technical analyzes of plays gain prominence.
Then, the investigation begins with a careful analysis of the player’s movements that generated the suspicious bets. In cases like that of Flamengo striker Bruno Henrique, the investigation focuses on specific plays, such as the possibility of the player receiving a yellow card.
However, cases may vary: a goalkeeper punished in the fourth division of the Campeonato Paulista had his conviction based on atypical strategies observed in videos, during a free kick.
Procedures and challenges in Sports Justice
After the complaint, the sports magistrate typically convenes an arbitration ombudsman. Although there are different procedures, in some courts the analysis does not include the bet report.
Thus, in São Paulo, as Chamelette explained, the referee starts without this information and bases his work only on records of games with signs of manipulation.
But these investigations can be prolonged. Therefore, it is essential to build a solid accusation before any formal complaint. Furthermore, in state courts, even after a conviction, there is still the possibility of appealing to the Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD).
In the Brazilian Championship, as in the case of Bruno Henrique, the process begins directly at the STJD, which may be the last instance. Thus, one of the points that caught attention in Bruno Henrique’s case was the return of R$13,850 from three betting operators related to the athlete’s yellow card.
This alert was given by Sportradar and IBIA (International Betting Integrity Association), companies hired by Conmebol, which passed the information to the CBF before the matter reached the sports court.
Meticulous analysis of results manipulation bids
After the complaint, the expert’s work involves meticulously observing the moves of the player in question. In the last nine cases analyzed by the São Paulo Sports Court since 2020, the verdicts coincided with the reports from monitoring companies. However, bookmakers want more agile processes.
Ana Bárbara Costa Teixeira, lawyer and consultant for the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL), commented on the situation: “When the risk sector identifies a suspicious operation, bet does not pay anyone. According to the secretariat’s rules, we will have to open a investigation process.”
In other words, this leads to an extension of processes and, consequently, financial risks for the platforms.
Another worrying aspect mentioned is that smaller “bets” end up not investing in fraud detection services. Because, due to financial limitations, this aspect is left aside and this can leave gaps for manipulating results.
But, although part of the financial loss falls on the bookmakers, the Public Ministry of Goiás, which conducts Operation Maximum Penalty, denounced an omission on the part of the sites that did not report irregularities. However, authorities understand that bookmakers end up being the first victims of these frauds.
In short, the match-fixing in sports betting is a worrying and growing topic. Therefore, the involvement of authorities, such as the Ministry of Treasury and the sports courts, shows the seriousness with which the issue is being treated in the national territory.
