Esportes da Sorte has insisted it is innocent after a multi-agency operation to tackle money laundering and illegal gambling in Brazil implicated the operator and saw its CEO hand himself in to police.
‘Operation Integration’ was launched last week, led by the Civil Police of Pernambuco, which resulted in 19 arrest warrants and 24 search and seizure warrants being issued.
The sting targeted a criminal organisation that is alleged to have moved almost BRL$3bn (£409.8m) via illegal gambling and money laundering.
More than 50 vehicles, in excess of 100 properties, as well as four airplanes and seven boats were all seized as part of the operation.
The Pernambuco police were backed by the Ministry of Justice, Interpol and 170 public security agents from four Brazilian states.
The operation’s roots lie in a money laundering investigation from April 2023 following the seizure of BRL$180,000 in cash in December 2022.
According to the Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security, between January 2019 and May 2023, BRL$3bn was transferred into bank accounts, investment portfolios and cash, all originating from illegal gambling.
The Ministry said: “Public security agents identified atypical financial movements by individuals and legal entities, which indicate signs of financial illicit activities, without any support for the commercial and financial transactions carried out by the group and the majority of members have a standard of living totally incompatible with their declared income and assets.”
As part of Operation Integration, Esportes da Sorte CEO Darwin Henrique da Silva Filho, along with his wife, Maria Eduarda Quinto Filizola, both turned themselves into the police.
Esportes da Sorte is one of the largest local heroes in Brazil and one of the 113 operators to submit a licence application for the regulated online sports betting and igaming market.
The brand is also the front-of-shirt sponsor for Brazilian football giants, Corinthians.
In an open letter penned by Filho, the CEO said he would cooperate with the investigation and believed his name would be cleared.
The letter read: “I have always been very vocal in my intention to contribute to the debate in favour of regulating fixed-odds sports betting and online gaming in Brazil.
“As a representative of Esportes da Sorte, I have always collaborated with the authorities and investigations. Our activity is legal, but criminal organisations are difficult to combat, and I believe that this should be separated.
“My attitude has always been to defend the law. I have also always guided our actions in favour of good practices, and responsible gaming and I defend it [gambling] as a form of entertainment.
“I feel calm at this moment. Even though I am very distressed, which is natural since no one wants to go through this, I remain confident in the process. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our employees, customers and partners, and say that you will never be disappointed with Esportes da Sorte.”
Over the weekend, the operator’s legal director, Gabriel Oliveira, published a video in which he further put distance between the brand and Operation Integration.
The near-three-minute clip sees Oliveira speaking directly to the camera as he claims Operation Integration is a “disservice to the nation”.
He said: “The situation of the last few days, triggered by Operation Integration, does a disservice to the nation and undermines what should be its purpose: the truth. We are ‘guilty’ of transparency, ‘guilty’ of having evidence and operating within the law, including all financial operations being carried out through honest institutions and procedures approved by the Central Bank [of Brazil].
“We are certain that all of this will be remembered as a sad, unreasonable, disproportionate and irresponsible episode in history. What is happening is a sign that the country is going backwards.
“The irresponsibility we are facing has torn apart what we know about fundamental guarantees. It is not just about Esportes da Sorte and its leaders, the first victims of these assumptions.
“They have attacked more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs generated by the sector, and have tarnished the livelihood of committed people.”
The post Esportes da Sorte distances itself from BRL$3bn illegal gambling sting in Brazil first appeared on EGR Intel.