CPI listens to bet owner and executive and may call Gusttavo Lima and Felipe Neto

The Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI) that investigates online betting, the CPI das Bets, is expected to vote next Tuesday (26), at 11am, on the singer’s summons requests Gustavo Lima and invitation to youtuber and influencer Felipe Neto.

Soon after voting on the 29 requests on the agenda, the CPI will take statements from the CEO of Bet Nacional, João Studart, and the owner of Sportingbet, Marcus da Silva, as well as delegates investigating money laundering schemes related to betting.

Gustavo Lima

The CPI rapporteur, senator Soraya Thronicke (Podemos-MS)proposes hearing Gusttavo Lima as a witness to clarify his involvement in advertising virtual bets and possible irregular receipts.

The singer even had a request for arrest made by the Pernambuco Court, but the case was requested to be archived by the state Public Ministry. The request is for a summons, that is, for mandatory attendance to testify.

Soraya Thronicke also requests confidential tax information from reports prepared by the federal agency that combats money laundering, the Financial Activities Control Council (Coaf), referring to Gusttavo Lima and two of his companies.

The National Secretary of Sports Betting at the Ministry of Sports, Giovanni Rocco Neto, may also be summoned. The request in this regard is from the senator Alessandro Vieira (MDB-SE)who is the vice-president of the CPI das Bets.

Read also: CPI das Bets approves the call-up of Deolane, Jojo Todynho, Viih Tube, Gkay and Safadão

Felipe Neto

The invitation to Felipe Neto, made by the president of the CPI, senator Dr. Hiran (PP-RR)aims to collect information about how hiring and rewards made by virtual betting companies to influencers work.

According to Dr. Hiran, the statement is of interest to the collegiate because Felipe Neto admits “having promoted the Blaze betting house for around 10 months in 2023” and attributes “one of the biggest failures of his career” to this fact. Felipe Neto’s request is for an invitation, with optional attendance.

Bet owners

In the second part of the meeting, the CPI will hear from the owner of the Brazilian betting site Sportingbet, Marcus da Silva, who is being investigated by the senators. The same will happen with the CEO of Bet Nacional, João Studart.

The CPI hopes to collect information about the operation of companies and their compliance with legislation. Both were summoned.

Delegates Erick Salum, from the Federal District, and Paulo Gustavo Gondim Borba Correia de Sousa, from Pernambuco, will also be heard. Both work in operations involving betting, with Sousa coordinating Operation Integration, which raised suspicions involving Gusttavo Lima.

Invitations

Another 22 requests to be analyzed are invitations to provide information. The list includes representatives of the betting companies UpBet, Multibet and the Rio de Janeiro State Lottery (Loterj), as well as the payments company Pix2Pay. Pixbet CEO, Ernildo Júnior Farias, can also be called, but as a witness and under summons.

Public authorities may also be invited as representatives of the following bodies:

• Financial Activities Control Council (Coaf);
• National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel);
• Prizes and Betting Secretariat of the Ministry of Finance;
• National Consumer Secretariat of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security;
• Public Defender’s Office of the state of Rio de Janeiro;
• Civil Police of the states of Pernambuco and Alagoas.

There are still applications that invite scholars and researchers from law and also from the field of psychiatry.

(With Senado Agency)