Brazilian court investigates Flávio Bolsonaro over alleged betting links

Federal police in Brazil are looking into whether the senator concealed a stake in BestBet, a betting platform that had earlier been licensed by Loterj, the Rio de Janeiro state lottery, as the source account reports. The senator rejects claims that he shared a joint account with lawyer Willer Tomaz or that the two had an illicit business relationship. Tomaz likewise contests the reporting, insisting his companies operate lawfully.

Reporting described in the account traced connections between Rede Loto, which owns BestBet, and two Portuguese holding companies tied to Tomaz. Documents cited in that reporting show the senator listed as a “master user” on a Santander account held by Alcazar Holdings, one of the two companies. Investigators want to establish whether that access, together with other links, points to hidden ownership of the gambling operation.

The Finance Ministry ranked Tomaz as Brazil's largest online gambler in the previous year, the account states. Court documents show he wagered a cumulative R$6.6 billion ($1.3 billion) at Blaze.com, an online casino and sportsbook, during 2025 and 2026. Possible financial irregularities are under investigation, alongside the alleged undisclosed business tie between the two men. Tomaz maintains that the money he wagered on Blaze.com was legitimate and had been declared to tax authorities.

On 26 October, one day after losing the election, the senator was told by Brazil's Supreme Federal Court to hand over his passports, per the source account. Justice Alexandre de Moraes further barred him from leaving the country and from making contact with Tomaz, following federal police fears that he could flee. Argentine immigration authorities say he crossed overland into Argentina with his wife and two daughters on 27 October; the group then took a private jet from Puerto Iguazú, made a stop in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and arrived at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport on the morning of 28 October.

According to a senior official at the US State Department, the senator and his family would be allowed into the United States, and President Donald Trump voiced backing for their arrival. Allies quoted by Brazilian outlet Metrópoles expect him to apply for political asylum in the US. Lula described his opponent's departure as “shameful.”

The race was won by the incumbent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, securing him a fourth presidential term. At first the senator would not accept the outcome and threatened to have it annulled; he dropped that push once his party recognised Lula's win, then instead vowed to contest the victory on grounds of alleged campaign abuses. Separately, he is under investigation over alleged financial irregularities connected to a film about his father, and he denies those allegations as well.