Flávio Bolsonaro Barred from Leaving Brazil Amid Money Laundering Probe Involving Betting Firms

^{Flávio Bolsonaro, senator for the state of Rio de Janeiro}

Brazil’s Supreme Court has barred Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who lost the presidential election on October 25, from leaving the country and ordered him to surrender his passports. The ruling is part of an investigation into alleged money laundering involving the betting industry, CNN Brasil reports.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the cancellation of Bolsonaro’s Brazilian passport and instructed him to hand over any other travel documents, including foreign passports, to police within 24 hours.

Bolsonaro was also banned from contacting businessman and lawyer Willer Tomaz, who is under investigation in the same case.

Brazilian media previously reported that police were examining Bolsonaro’s possible links to BestBet, a betting company associated with Tomaz. The lawyer is suspected of laundering money through gambling activities.

Between 2025 and 2026, Tomaz reportedly placed more than 53,000 bets on the online gambling platform Blaze, with a combined value of $1.3 billion. Investigators are examining the source of the funds and whether the transactions were lawful. Both men deny any wrongdoing.

Bolsonaro was served with the court order on October 26, a day after losing the presidential runoff to incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He described the ruling as an attempt at intimidation and said he intended to challenge the allegations.