Zona de Azar Brasil – Brazil: Senate President Suggests Possible Early Closure of CPI das Bets

Brazil.- December 17, 2024 www.zonadeazar.com The President of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), indicated in discussions with senators from the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) on Bets that he may work to conclude the commission’s activities before the established deadline.

The commission, which began in November, is scheduled to operate until April next year. The motivation for early termination arises in response to rumors that betting site owners were being subjected to extortion.

Although Pacheco does not have regulatory authority to dissolve a CPI, he can facilitate agreements to undermine the commission, such as encouraging members not to attend sessions.

Recently, after debating with Senator Soraya Thronicke (Podemos-MS), the CPI rapporteur, Senator Ciro Nogueira (PP-PI) approached the Senate President to discuss suspicions of extortion involving a well-known lobbyist in Brasília, allegedly in collusion with commission members.

Ciro Nogueira claimed to have received information about lobbyist Silvio de Assis. Assis allegedly demanded 40 million reais from a businessman, promising to prevent him from being summoned to testify before the CPI das Bets. He claimed to have influence over certain congress members.

Senator Soraya Thronicke (Podemos-MS), CPI das Bets Rapporteur 

Without directly accusing Soraya Thronicke, Nogueira pointed out that the rapporteur has a close relationship with the lobbyist. The senator admitted to knowing Assis but denied being friends with him. “This is defamation, it is slander,” said Thronicke.

Similarities Between the Betting CPI and the Sports Betting CPI

This scenario mirrors a similar situation last year; a movement led to the closure of the Sports Betting CPI in the Chamber of Deputies. Initially, the commission was supposed to operate until November, but it ended two months earlier and did not vote on the rapporteur’s final report, presented by Deputy Felipe Carreras (PSB-PE).

The commission’s dissolution followed a report published by VEJA. The article revealed that Carreras had requested R$ 35 million from a representative of a sports betting association, promising assistance and protection within the commission in return.

Wesley Cardia, then president of the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL), reported the incident to José Francisco Manssur. The latter, a former special advisor to the Ministry of Finance, later confirmed the story in a statement to the CPI.

Edited by: @_fonta www.zonadeazar.com