Brazilian soccer player Bruno Henrique charged in betting fraud case

A judge in Brasília, capital of Brazil, has formally accepted the betting fraud charges against Flamengo soccer player Bruno Henrique and his brother, Wander Nunes Pinto Júnior, over a 2023 match-fixing allegation. 

However, the court rejected the additional charge, which refers to fraud against the betting companies themselves.

According to the ruling from the Judge, the fraud charge could not proceed because the betting platforms allegedly harmed had not submitted the formal victim representation required under Brazilian law. 

In response, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Federal District (MPDFT) has stated it will appeal the decision to reinstate the charge.

The case revolves around a match between Flamengo and Santos held in Brasília in November 2023, during which Bruno Henrique allegedly received a yellow card intentionally.

Prosecutors argue that the athlete shared this intention with his brother beforehand, allowing coordinated bets to be placed on the infraction across several newly created accounts.

The volume and pattern of bets triggered suspicion among operators, who then froze the payouts. 

Good to know: While the judge accepted the core charge of manipulating a sporting result, he also denied a request for precautionary measures, such as blocking access to betting platforms, suspending contracts with operators and imposing a BR2m ($357,692) bail

The list of accused includes friends and relatives of the player who are suspected of either placing the bets, facilitating transactions or profiting from the scheme. 

One defendant reportedly created an account just hours before the match and was recorded celebrating the payout.

Carlos Mendez

Writer

Odds tell a story long before the result does. When bettors learn to read that story properly, betting becomes a matter of discipline and value rather than emotion or guesswork.

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