The Esportes da Sorte, Vai de Bet and Zeroumbet operators embroiled in an alleged illegal betting scandal in Brazil have been left off the list of companies approved to continue operating there ahead of the regulated market going live on 1 January 2025.
The government passed an ordinance in September requiring non-approved applicants to exit from 1 October, with the National Telecommunications Agency empowered to block these companies from 11 October after allowing 10 days for players to withdraw funds.
Following the start of the transition period, regulator the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets' (SPA) revealed that 89 operators running a total of 193 brands had been approved.
Esportes da Sorte, Vai de Bet and Zeroumbet have all been linked to alleged illegal gambling and money laundering in Brazil.
Esportes da Sorte owner Darwin Henrique da Silva Filho handed himself into federal police on 5 September after protesting his innocence in an open letter, with Vai de Bet owner José André da Rocha Neto arrested as part of the investigation. Influencer Deolane Bezerra has also been accused of launching Zeroumbet as a cover for laundering illegal earnings from gambling.
iGBA’s sister publication iGB reports that the SPA has not so far provided any reason for these companies being omitted or if scope exists to add more operators to the list.
Esports da Sorte’s continued omission would call into question the future of its R$309m football shirt sponsorship of Corinthians, agreed following the termination of Vai de Bet’s R$370m record deal after alleged corruption charges were levelled at the club.
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