Brazil’s Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI), set up to investigate corruption within the national football structures, is still missing a key person of interest.
William Pereira Rogatto, a Brazilian businessman issued an INTERPOL Red Notice and arrested by UAE authorities back in November 2024, is still awaiting deportation back to his home country.
Rogatto, currently being held in a Dubai jail, is wanted by Brazil’s Federal Police on suspicions of orchestrating a Brazilian match-fixing ring that is responsible for a series of manipulations of football match results in more than one country.
The activity allegedly ran from 2009 up to the early 2020s, with Rogatto supposedly making around BR $300m (approx. £42m) from the illicit activity in that time period. To build up his defense, he has promised Brazilian authorities to provide a full testimony with supporting evidence about influential accomplices.
Once the businessman is deported back to Brazil, his investigation will be carried out by the CPI of Integrity – led by former Seleção legend Senator Romario (PL-RJ) as rapporteur, and chaired by Senator Jorge Kajuru (PSB-GO).
The investigative body was sanctioned by the government prior to the Bets regime launch in January, with the goal of evaluating the market’s risk factors by conducting interrogations of individuals linked to match-fixing and crimes against Brazil’s sports integrity.
While the CPI of Integrity’s mandate comes to an end on 15 February, details about Rogatto’s exact extradition date have not been yet confirmed. As reported by SBC Noticias, Senator Kajuru will request a 45-day extension to the Commission’s activity.
The minimum number of votes required for the request’s approval is 27 out of the 81 total Senators. For local media, Kajuru has expressed that he already has 35 signatures.
The minimum number of votes required for the request’s approval is 27 out of the 81 total Senators. For local media, Kajuru has expressed that he already has 35 signatures.
Beyond the interrogations, the CPI has been assigned to provide the Senate with its evaluation of current laws and safeguards protecting Brazilian sports from integrity threats and match fixing.
Senator Soraya Thronicke (Podemos-MS) is leading a CPI investigation into the financial threats and vulnerabilities of online gambling.
In January, Thronicke updated the Senate on the progress of the CPI evaluation of Brazil’s framework to combat online gambling-related AML, currency evasion, and organised crime. The first insights are expected to be presented in April.
The regulatory framework for the Bets regime continues to evolve as the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) finalises the calculation method for Gross Gaming Revenues (GRR), a key requirement for operators to submit reports and audits.
This week, SPA President Regis Dudena launched a public consultation to gather feedback on the Bets regime’s rollout. The consultation highlighted that in 2025, priority will be given to developing a comprehensive self-exclusion system for players at risk of gambling harm.
