Senator Flávio Bolsonaro faces money laundering allegations linked to online gambling

Investigation into senator and lawyer

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro faces allegations of involvement in a money laundering scheme via businesses involved in online gambling, according to investigative magazine piauí and Folha de S.Paulo. Polícia Federal is investigating Bolsonaro’s relationship with Lawyer Willer Tomaz, who is reported to have been a money mule of millions of reais processed via multiple online gambling platforms associated with the lawyer’s businesses.

The investigative magazine piauí detailed that Tomaz generated R$6.3bn (circa €1bn) in wagering transactions between 2025 and 2026, primarily via bets placed on the Blaze platform, according to piauí and Folha de S.Paulo. No charges have been issued against Tomaz.

Denials and defence

Tomaz defends that the wagering figure has been exaggerated as accumulated betting turnover, and that period deposits totalled R$326m (approximately €57m) and withdrawals R$234m (approximately €41m). Tomaz maintains that the money came from legitimate sources.

Rede Loto is majority owned by Cathedral Holdings, a Madeira-based (Portugal) business in which Tomaz is a partner. Both Bolsonaro and Tomaz deny that Bolsonaro shared access to the account or held a stake in Best Bet, and the allegations remain unproven.

Political context

Brazil’s presidential run-off is scheduled for Sunday 25 October, with voters deciding between Lula and a Bolsonaro. President Lula terminated the Bets Law regime via a provisional measure issued on 25 September and sanctioned as 6 October.

Lula has challenged Flávio Bolsonaro to release bank statements, tax and telephone records, offering reciprocal disclosure covering himself and family members. Congress must decide the future of Lula’s total ban on gambling. Lula’s measure provides for existing authorisations to expire without refunds, while Flamengo and other Serie A clubs have launched a Supreme Court challenge for direct compensation.