Regardless of elevated legislative assist in each chambers, Brazil’s plans to legalize and regulate sports activities betting proceed to be the supply of great controversy. The newest transfer comes from an anti-gambling senator who’s accused a consultant from the Chamber of Deputies of bribery to assist the laws.
Brazilian Senator Eduardo Girão addressing the Senate. He accused a fellow legislator of accepting bribes in assist of regulated sports activities betting. (Picture: Brazil Senate file picture)
Senator Eduardo Girão has repeatedly expressed harsh criticism of the sports activities betting regulation course of in Brazil. This previous Wednesday, he made it private, saying that he would file a criticism with the Legal professional Basic’s Workplace in opposition to Deputy Felipe Carreras.
Carreras is the rapporteur of the Parliamentary Fee of Inquiry (PCI) on sports activities betting, a committee investigation that reported widespread match-fixing in soccer. Girão accuses him of accepting tens of millions of {dollars} in hush cash and bribes to steer the investigation.
Robust Assertions With Little Proof
It’s not unusual for politicians to make accusations in opposition to others once they wish to drum up assist for their very own causes. Nonetheless, accusing a legislator of bribery, within the absence of intensive tangible proof, can backfire shortly.
Girão asserts that Carreras allegedly requested for bribes to go legal guidelines favorable to sports activities betting firms because the chamber mentioned legalized sports activities betting. He additionally alleges that the identical firms and Carreras colluded to maintain stress off these operators through the PCI.
In an announcement concerning the bribery allegations, Girão stated that Carreras acquired BRL35 million (US$6.9 million) from the president of the Nationwide Affiliation of Video games and Lotteries. The gaming operator-supported group launched earlier this yr with a mission of supporting accountable playing.
Girão added that the Chamber of Deputies has the duty to open an investigation into the allegations earlier than the Ethics Fee. Nonetheless, he has but to offer documentation that may affirm the bribery accusations.
Regardless of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, in addition to Brazil’s president and vp, including extra assist for the launch of regulated sports activities betting, Girão isn’t but on board. He’s nonetheless combating his fellow senators in a bid to get the chamber to reverse course. To date, it’s not working.
Operation Most Penalty II Wraps Up
One week after presenting its preliminary report, the PCI on sports activities bets wrapped up on Tuesday, although the investigation that emerged from Operation Most Penalty II has but to achieve its conclusion.
The committee members have drafted their findings and ready a report, which ought to have been put to a committee vote. Different deputies have totally different plans, and are demanding to see the report earlier than any motion is taken.
The parliamentary investigation started on Could 18 and may have concluded on September 15. It then acquired a 12-day extension, however nonetheless didn’t attain a consensus earlier than the ultimate deadline. The request for overview would require a full evaluation of the report in a Chamber of Deputies plenary session.
A number of deputies have raised issues about what the report might embrace. They imagine that the PCI didn’t tackle among the points that they had raised, resulting in the brand new calls for.
