Senator Soraya Thronicke has submitted a request to open a Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI) to investigate illegal gambling, its involvement with other illicit practices, and the harm it causes to the budgets of Brazilian families. The senator managed to secure the 31 signatures necessary to initiate the CPI.
The Federal Senate has set a 130-day deadline to complete the work of the Commission and has approved a budget of R$ 110,000. The group of senators who will compose the sessions will consist of 11 full members and seven alternates.
In the justification for the request, Thronicke argued that it was essential to investigate possible shortcomings in the regulation of betting and other games that may facilitate money laundering and other illegal activities.
With the opening of the CPI, senators will be tasked with deepening the investigations into the companies behind online betting sites, their operational methods, and possible shortcomings in existing legislation. One focus will be to identify potential legal gaps that allow the proliferation of these games without adequate oversight.
“We need to investigate the economic impact of these games on families and their connections to criminal activities. There are indications that these sites are being used for money laundering by criminal organizations,” stated the senator.
Another point to be addressed in the CPI is the participation of digital influencers in promoting gambling without explaining the risks of gambling. Soraya Thronicke is a member of the Senate Science and Technology Committee and had previously requested a public hearing on the impact of online casinos in August.