Zona de Azar Brasil – Brazil: Federal Police to Investigate Suspicions of Match-Fixing

Brazil.- October 17, 2024 www.zonadeazar.com  The Ministry of Justice has requested an investigation by the Federal Police (PF) into suspicions of match-fixing in games in Brazil. This initiative came from the National Sports Betting Secretariat, under the Ministry of Sport, following the testimony of William Rogatto at the Betting CPI on October 8.

During his testimony, businessman William Rogatto stated that match-fixing has been happening for more than 40 years. He described a “complex system” involving photos, videos, negotiations, recordings, and conversations related to these schemes.

Rogatto, considered one of the leaders of the betting operations being investigated by the authorities, confessed to manipulating football games in Brazil. He claimed to have made around R$ 300 million, especially through the relegation of teams.

Revelations of Match-Fixing in Testimony at the Betting CPI

Declaring himself a confessed defendant, Rogatto revealed he was responsible for the relegation of 42 football teams. He operated in all the state football federations in Brazil, including the Federal District, and in nine countries, such as Colombia.

He mentioned that “in terms of amounts involved, the match-fixing scheme ranks only behind politics and drug trafficking.”

Rogatto criticized the relationship between football clubs and betting houses, stating that “the biggest hypocrisy in the world today is having a football club sponsored by a betting house.”

In response to Senator Romário (PL-RJ), rapporteur of the CPI, Rogatto commented that the sponsorship of clubs by betting companies “already triggers a situation where everything can happen.”

He explained that, from this point, “the player becomes a bet, he doesn’t receive a decent salary, and the betting companies come in and provide support.”

The rapporteur of the CPI suggested to Rogatto the possibility of a plea bargain. However, Rogatto stated that although he found it “interesting,” he saw no guarantees of protection due to threats he received from those involved in the schemes.

Senator Eduardo Girão (Novo-CE) advocated for granting security measures to Rogatto, considering the seriousness of his statements.

Therefore, he questioned Rogatto about the involvement of politicians in the scheme, to which Rogatto confirmed: “There are politicians, councilors, and mayors. The system is unique, and to enter, you need people. Everyone loves money. I always tried to get into the Sports Secretariats.”

Edited by: @_fonta www.zonadeazar.com