Recent investigations reveal that Flávio Bolsonaro, Brazil's presidential candidate and senator, was indirectly linked to the betting organization Best Bet. The Federal Police initiated these inquiries to determine if Bolsonaro conspired with lawyer Tomaz to conceal the origins of funds through betting operations. This information was highlighted by Folha de S.Paulo on October 19.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes oversees the case in the Supreme Court, which has not yet filed any charges against Bolsonaro. The senator has dismissed reports connecting him to Tomaz, stating that their relationship was solely friendship and did not involve collaboration. He referred to the situation as "an aggression against legal certainty," while not committing to reinstituting any related permits. According to a report from Folha on October 22, Bolsonaro assured Flamengo's president Luiz Eduardo Baptista that, if elected, he would strive to resolve issues affecting clubs and bookmakers.
Tomaz has chosen not to comment on the matter, indicating he was unaware of the documents in question. Recently, he reported a record betting turnover of €886 million in Brazil for 2025, the highest in the country's history, according to CNN Brasil and G1. The Federal Court is also looking into allegations of money laundering involving Tomaz, his businesses, and Flávio Bolsonaro.
Documents show that in January 2023, Tomaz established Cathedral Holdings in Madeira with an initial investment of €50,000. By February, Cathedral Holdings launched Rede Loto, which operates as Best Bet under the supervision of Cathedral Holdings. Best Bet obtained its operating license from Loterj in May 2023, after a bidding process wherein Loterj was presented with proposals from various companies. While a competing firm offered 26%, Best Bet's original bid was lower, but it was eventually accepted after correcting their entry to 26.455%. Best Bet commenced operations in July 2023, expanding beyond Rio de Janeiro.
In addition to Cathedral, Tomaz formed Alcazar Holdings and its Brazilian branch, Alcazar Brasil. Reports indicate both Cathedral and Alcazar are managed by Mateo Scudeler and operate from the same office in the Marina Club building, Funchal. The financial results for Cathedral show receivables of €984,000 in 2025 compared to €7,800 the previous year; Alcazar's debt surged from €8,100 to €824,000 in the same timeframe.
Federal Police records indicate that Flávio Bolsonaro had previously been a master user on the bank account of Alcazar Holdings, a joint offshore entity with Tomaz, until May 2025 when he was removed. Folha de S.Paulo disclosed findings on October 15 that revealed Cathedral had booked flights involving the senator three times in 2025, specifically on April 11 from Lisbon to Nice and on May 23 from Cascais to Nice and Paris, with family members accompanying.
The investigation also mentions Cláudio Castro, the governor of Rio de Janeiro until March 2026, along with Alexandre Ramagem. Payments attributed to Torre Comunicação Estratégica, allegedly owned by Ramagem, indicate the company provided services to Tomaz's law office during Ramagem’s campaign for the Rio mayor's office in 2024.
Bolsonaro has refuted all allegations, asserting no connections to the claims and denying ever holding an account with Tomaz or his businesses. The Federal Police's inquiry remains ongoing, and the case continues to be represented in the Supreme Court.
