Brazil lawyer wagered $1.3bn on Blaze amid laundering probe

Police are probing a Brazilian lawyer’s $1.3bn in bets on Blaze over suspected money laundering, according to CNN Brasil.

The hit

Brazilian lawyer Willer Tomaz wagered R$6.6 billion ($1.3 billion) on Blaze casino games across 2025 & part of 2026, according to court documents obtained by CNN Brasil. The figure reflects wagering turnover, including winnings repeatedly staked, not money deposited or lost. Tomaz, a close friend of presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, is under Federal Police investigation over suspicious transactions possibly used to disguise money movement.

Why it matters

The case puts Brazil’s gambling oversight under the microscope just as President Lula has ordered licensed operators to shut down, a decree that faces legal challenges & still needs congressional approval to become permanent. It also raises questions for Bolsonaro’s campaign, with police reportedly probing whether he held a concealed stake in a Tomaz-linked betting site, according to magazine piauí.

The record

Net losses on Blaze	$29m (court documents via CNN Brasil)
2025 wagers	R$5bn / $995m (Brazil Finance Ministry)
Deposits made	R$258m / $51m, nearly double Brazil’s next-biggest bettor (officials)
BestBet revenue, Dec 2023-June 2025	R$210,000 / $42,000 against a R$2.1m forecast (Folha de S.Paulo)
Lawsuit against Blaze	R$163m / $32m in alleged losses, rejected by a São Paulo judge

What happens next

Brazil holds its presidential runoff on Sunday. Police have asked the Supreme Court to authorise an inquiry into whether Bolsonaro was a concealed investor, according to piauí. Tomaz, Bolsonaro’s campaign & Blaze all deny wrongdoing.

Sources: Brazil’s Biggest Bettor Gambled More Than $1B, Police Probe Possible Money Laundering

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