Vortex

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Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated that, if it were up to him, online betting companies would be shut down.

During a livestream on Sunday, he said he had met with “eight victims of online betting”. To reinforce his criticism of the sector and in an attempt to win over conservative voters, he pointed out that one gambler had made 1,400 instant fund transfers (Pix) to a betting site. Lula criticised the Central Bank for failing to detect such a high volume of transactions to a single company.

However, that responsibility does not lie with the Central Bank. It is the role of the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets to monitor and regulate the sector. Betting companies submit detailed daily reports on bettors’ financial transactions with the sites. A specific module within Brazil’s betting management system detects recurring transfers.

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Its exclusivity reportedly runs to 2036 under an unpublished 2016 convention with the state. The commercial operation is run under a tendered management contract rather than a licence. Unauthorised gaming houses and lotteries are criminal offences under articles 282 to 285 of the penal code.

MDJS has turned to the courts to challenge offshore betting. On 12 January the Casablanca commercial court, sitting in summary proceeding, ordered Maroc Telecom, Orange Maroc and Inwi to block 19 named betting sites and local payment intermediaries. Non-compliance carried a penalty of MAD10,000 a day.

Medias24 reported the judge’s reasoning: “Internet access providers are technically the only parties able to end the manifestly unlawful disturbance resulting from access to unauthorised betting sites.”

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Paresh Raja’s mortgage lending company, Market Financial Solutions (MFS), collapsed into administration in February amid allegations of massive financial irregularities.

A source familiar with Raja’s gambling habits told The Telegraph he was a regular visitor to the upmarket Palm Beach Casino and Colony Club in Mayfair, one of London’s most affluent districts.

Raja was reportedly permitted to access as much as £600,000 ($800,000) a day from his bank account to finance his casino play, according to The Telegraph.