Zona de Azar Brazil – Brazil: Public Prosecutor’s Office Closes Investigations into Blaze

Brazil – August 29, 2024 www.zonadeazar.com As we previously reported on our portal, Blaze, a very popular sportsbook in the national sports betting scene, was under investigation by the São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office after a bettor reported not receiving a prize of R$269,000 won at the sportsbook.

However, after the defense of the sportsbook took action, the Attorney General’s Office requested the framing of the investigations into the sportsbook within the scope of gambling crimes, embezzlement, and crimes against the popular economy.

The bettor’s reports stated that the “Conclude” button on the site was not working, preventing him from claiming the amount owed. As a result, investigations against the sportsbook were initiated, led by the São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Court Exonerates Sportsbook Following Investigation

After a period of investigation, the Public Prosecutor’s Office stated that Law 14.790/2023, enacted in December, regulates fixed-odds betting, including the type operated by Blaze. Thus, the Public Prosecutor’s representative emphasized that the investigations found no evidence of embezzlement or fraud crimes.

Therefore, the Public Prosecutor’s Office requested the closure of the police inquiry, declaring a “lack of valid reason to justify the continuation of the criminal investigation.” The sportsbook’s defenders, main sponsors of Santos, were the lawyers Leonardo Magalhães Avelar and Luiz Felipe Maia.

“The Court of Justice and the Attorney General’s Office had already decided that there was no breach of contract on the part of the company. The latest request for dismissal made by the Public Prosecutor’s Office puts an end to the police inquiry. This is an important position to provide legal security to the entire betting market in Brazil,” said Avelar.

Thus, at the end of July, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Specialized Court for Money Laundering ordered the suspension of the inquiry that investigated, in the 2nd Court of Tax Crimes, Criminal Organization, and Money Laundering of Assets and Securities of São Paulo, as well as the complaint from the player who claimed that the sportsbook was a criminal organization or involved in money laundering.

“In the current investigation, the police authorities did not indicate which money laundering crimes had already been clearly disclosed and did not include data in the process to classify Blaze.com as a criminal organization,” the prosecutor stated in a document that ordered the closure of all investigations involving the sportsbook.

Edited by: @_fonta
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