TLDR
- Flávio Bolsonaro left Brazil for the U.S. after ignoring a Supreme Court order to hand over his passports.
- The order came in a money laundering probe tied to betting platforms and lawyer Willer Tomaz.
- Brazil’s betting regulator says Tomaz deposited more than $48.2 million on betting sites in 2025.
- A separate inquiry is looking at foreign ads that promoted Polymarket odds favoring Bolsonaro.
- The Supreme Court will hold a public hearing on Brazil’s betting ban on Nov. 3.
Flávio Bolsonaro, who lost Brazil’s Oct. 25 presidential runoff, has left for the United States after ignoring a Supreme Court order to surrender his passports.
The order is part of a money laundering probe tied to betting platforms and lawyer Willer Tomaz.
How Bolsonaro Left Brazil
Bolsonaro crossed into Argentina on Tuesday night with his wife and two daughters, Argentina’s migration authority said. About 40 minutes later, they boarded a private jet to Ecuador.
The plane landed in Miami on Wednesday morning, according to flight data cited by Brazilian media. The U.S. said it would issue visas to the family, and President Donald Trump said he would approve their entry.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered Bolsonaro on Oct. 26 to hand over his Brazilian and Italian passports within 24 hours. The order also barred him from leaving Brazil and from contacting Tomaz.
The Federal Police had cited a “concrete and current” flight risk. They pointed to his wealth, ties abroad, and his brother Eduardo’s suggestion that he leave if he lost. Police canceled his passports after the deadline passed.
Bolsonaro had called the order persecution. “I never thought of leaving the country,” he said at the time.
What Investigators Say About the Betting Case
The probe began in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and looks at suspected money laundering and currency evasion.
Investigators suspect Bolsonaro and Tomaz are hidden partners in Best Bet, a betting site Tomaz founded. They also cite Alcazar Holdings in Madeira, Portugal, where Bolsonaro allegedly appears as a “master” user on a bank account.
Police flagged about $24.3 million in suspicious transactions between March and May 2025. They said the amount did not match the senator’s known activities.
Both men deny any business partnership. Tomaz’s defense also denies that Bolsonaro had access to the account.
On Oct. 23, Moraes ordered a freeze of up to $1.1 billion of Tomaz’s assets, a ceiling rather than an amount found. Tomaz left Brazil in August and lives in the U.S.
A Finance Ministry note dated Oct. 1 found Tomaz deposited over $48.2 million on betting sites in 2025, nearly double the next-largest depositor. He withdrew about $37.4 million.
The note puts his total betting volume near $935 million, counting winnings bet again. His representatives say his funds are legal and declared to tax authorities.
The regulator said betting brand Blaze failed to flag his activity. This included 14 deposits of about $93,500 each in one day in October 2025, then 12 same-size withdrawals in 18 minutes the next day.
In a separate inquiry, Justice Flávio Dino on Oct. 27 ordered police to identify who paid for foreign ads promoting Polymarket odds that favored Bolsonaro.
Polymarket, which is barred in Brazil, had priced Bolsonaro as the favorite before Lula’s comeback. Dino’s order does not conclude a crime occurred, and the campaign denies foreign funding.
Brazil’s 85 betting licenses lapsed on the day of the runoff under a measure banning sports betting and online casinos. Lula has said betting would not return. The Supreme Court has scheduled a Nov. 3 public hearing on challenges to the ban.
