Police Chief Warns Brazilian Lawmakers: Influencers Scamming Gamblers Through Illegal Betting Schemes

Alagoas state police chief Lucimério Barros Campos issued a stark warning to Brazil’s Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI) on betting this week, revealing how online influencers are being used as key players in a growing wave of illegal gambling activity. Speaking before the commission on Tuesday, April 22, Campos described a disturbing trend uncovered during an investigation known as “Operation Game Over,” which exposed how social media personalities are scamming gamblers through black market betting platforms.

According to Campos, these illegal betting operations rely on influencers to promote gambling via the widely used Pix payment system, effectively bypassing financial oversight. He explained that influencers act as intermediaries, operating channels where bets can be placed directly—outside the reach of Brazil’s gambling regulator and other financial enforcement agencies.

“After people complained about losses after having played, we realised that these fintechs, the payment intermediaries, are these payment methods that are created clandestinely, through people who have no connection with the legal entity created,” Campos told the CPI panel.

One of the key challenges in shutting down these operations is that influencers are not classified as financial institutions. This loophole makes it nearly impossible for authorities to freeze their assets or interrupt their transactions, allowing the black market activity to continue largely unchecked. Campos reported that since Brazil’s regulated betting market officially launched on January 1, illegal bets totaling BRL15 million ($2.6 million) had already been processed in Alagoas state alone.

He explained to the commission how these schemes function: influencers are hired by illicit betting companies and given access to fake accounts that make it appear as though they are winning large sums. These accounts are not genuine, and the videos or live streams showing influencers hitting jackpots are designed to mislead viewers and lure them into gambling through fraudulent platforms.

“In order to play, the gambler needs to download an app,” Campos said. “That app is provided the famous demo account for influencers. The [influencer] would post the link for people to click and bet, but they also received another [fake] link where they could log in and record the screen showing how they made the big win. It was all a scam.”

Campos emphasized that stronger legal tools are needed to tackle this growing problem, which he described as predatory and deeply harmful to the population. He expressed particular concern for vulnerable individuals who fall victim to these scams, lured in by false promises of easy money. “If there is no proper regulation of this type of activity, we are talking about predatory activity here, which poses a very significant risk to the health of Brazilians,” he said.

He added, “It ends up taking money out of the individual’s home, stopping it from circulating the local economy and going straight to the betting shops. If they are clandestine, the money doesn’t even stay in Brazil.”

Campos further revealed that the investigation initially centered around fraudulent betting practices, but later uncovered clear signs of money laundering as well.

The urgency of the issue has prompted legislative action. Federal deputy Kim Kataguiri recently introduced a bill aiming to criminalize the advertisement of illegal betting, especially in cases targeting children and at-risk individuals. The bill includes penalties of up to eight years in prison for offenders.

Senator Damares Alves, a member of the CPI, commended the police force for its efforts and resolve in confronting the powerful and shadowy betting networks. “Congratulations to the police officers who had the courage to face this billion-dollar, disgusting, disgusting market,” she said.

By fLEXI tEAM