Brazil's biggest online bettor wagered over $1 billion

Brazil's Federal Police are investigating lawyer Willer Tomaz, a close friend of presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, over suspicious financial transactions. The investigation is examining whether some transactions on online gambling platforms were used to conceal the origin of money.

According to court documents obtained by CNN Brasil, Tomaz placed bets worth 6.6 billion reais, roughly $1.3 billion, on casino games on the Blaze site alone. He is reported to have made more than 53,000 bets during this period and to have lost about $29 million net.

A separate report from the Finance Ministry says Tomaz placed bets totaling about $995 million in 2025, most of it through Blaze. These figures reflect total betting volume, created by repeatedly wagering winnings, not money deposited. According to officials, this amount alone is enough to make him the biggest online bettor in Brazil in 2025.

The Finance Ministry report claims Blaze's anti-money laundering controls were inadequate. It cites examples in which Tomaz deposited 500,000 reais 14 times in one day, and on another day withdrew the same amount 12 times within 18 minutes.

Blaze says it complies with regulations and that its transaction monitoring procedures are strict. Tomaz says his money was obtained legally and reported to the tax authorities, and he disputes the government's figures.

Tomaz has also sued Blaze to recover 163 million reais, roughly $32 million, which he claims to have lost due to addiction. A judge in Sao Paulo rejected the claim last week, noting that Tomaz had requested private blackjack tables with betting limits of up to $50,000.

Meanwhile, President Lula da Silva last month effectively shut down the newly regulated online betting market. Licensed sports betting sites and online casinos were ordered to close by October 6. During the process of refunding player funds after the closures, several suspicious accounts came to light, including Tomaz's.