The increase in the sports betting market in Brazil, whose forecast is to move up to R$15 billion (US$ 2.9b) in 2022 alone – more than seven times the value of 2018, when it was R$2 billion (US$ 390m) –, raises the concern about the manipulation of sports results. Even more so in a context where the activity is not yet regulated by the federal government, which makes it difficult to monitor suspected crimes in the country.
As a result, sports entities began to hire private services from private companies and experts in fraud monitoring. Examples are Sportradar, which has a partnership with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), and Stats Perform, which has a similar agreement with the São Paulo Football Federation (FPF).
These companies work with the help of a universal sports betting monitoring system, which has a database with hundreds of global operators and which allows the detection of unusual volumes of online betting, contrary to regular expectations, involving games of the most varied sports.
Once suspicion is raised, analysts seek to understand whether the game in question has suspicious moves, such as a peculiar own goal or a particularly different performance by some athlete.
If the suspicion is sustained, a report is sent to the sports entity that organizes the championship, which in turn begins its investigation and forwards the complaint to the Civil Police, responsible for opening the investigation and investigating the case.
From there, two possibilities of punishment open up. The administrative, which can lead to suspension of the club or the athlete, and the criminal, where those involved can be criminally punished based on the legislation of the ‘Estatuto do Torcedor’ (Fan Statute, a law that aims to protect the interests of the sports consumer in the role of supporter).
“We have seen a very large increase in this type of case with the recent boom in bookmakers. The fact that there is no regulation, the volume of money is very large and the bets are specific makes it easier for the recruiter,” comments delegate Cesar Saad, head of the Police Station for Repression and Analysis of Sports Intolerance Crimes (Drade), which investigates the cases in São Paulo.
“This only increases our need to improve investigation tools. But, at least in São Paulo, we have a partnership with the FPF that strengthens prevention and transparency,” guarantees the delegate.
Source: Veja
