The cases involve NBB games with Rio Claro and Botafogo in the men's league, as well as Paulista women's games with Taubaté. A more advanced investigation is looking into a game between Santo André and Mesquita in the LBF (Photo: Press Release/Minas)
The Federal Police opened investigations into possible match-fixing in professional basketball games in Brazil. The cases involve NBB games with the participation of Rio Claro and Botafogo in the men's league, as well as games in the Paulista Women's Championship with Taubaté. The suspicions arose this Tuesday (23) after the identification of unusual patterns in sports betting.
Meanwhile, the Civil Police of Mato Grosso are conducting an investigation related to a match between Santo André and Mesquita in the Women's Basketball League (LBF). The National Basketball League confirmed that it had been informed of the suspicions and forwarded the information to the competent authorities.
Santo André vs. Mesquita case: the most advanced.
The most advanced case in the investigations involves the game between Santo André and Mesquita in the LBF (Brazilian Women's Basketball League). There are indications that bettors possessed privileged information indicating that Santo André would lose by a difference of at least 14 points. The game, played on April 22nd, ended with a victory for Mesquita by 89 to 65.
A detailed report, initiated following an alert from the betting platform Rei do Pitaco, reveals suspicious activity related to the match:
“On April 23.04rd, one day after the match, Rei do Pitaco learned, through SportRadar's integrity platform, that several betting operators had flagged suspicious activity in bets on the match, especially on a loss by more than 13.5 points for the Santo André team. This raised concerns about the potential risk of match-fixing, as the on-court activity appeared disconnected from the high volume of bets on a loss by that margin. Internal data from Rei do Pitaco's platform indicated that approximately 60% of the total volume bet on the match was placed precisely on a victory by a margin greater than 13.5 points for the Mesquita team.”
The document was forwarded to the Federal Police, who subsequently directed the case to the Civil Police of Mato Grosso, the location of origin of the suspicious bets. The Mato Grosso police confirmed: “The Civil Police confirms the incident and informs that, upon becoming aware of the fact, proceedings have been initiated to investigate the case.”
Fernando Maroni, superintendent of the LBF (Brazilian Women's Basketball League), stated that the league has not received official notification about the investigation. He highlighted that the LBF held an integrity week in December and promotes meetings with athletes to discuss the topic.
Suspicions in the São Paulo Women's Championship
In the São Paulo Women's Championship, several alerts regarding match-fixing in Taubaté's games were registered by the monitoring systems. Enyo Correia, executive director of the São Paulo Basketball Federation, confirmed receiving the reports and informed that the documents were forwarded to the Sports Justice Tribunal.
A specific example occurred in the match between Taubaté and São José, played on October 23rd. The monitoring system detected an abnormal volume of bets indicating that the total score would be below 132 points. The final result was 87 to 43 for São José, totaling 130 points.
Players from Taubaté, who preferred not to be identified, denied involvement in fraud schemes, but mentioned a man identified only as Paulo. According to the athletes, he was allegedly a partner in the company PHP Management, responsible for managing the team, and in charge of setting results according to bettors' instructions.
PHP Management was frequently tagged on the club's social media, but during the reporting process in November, all profiles related to Paulo or the company had been deleted from digital platforms.
Investigations in the NBB
The investigations also extend to the NBB, the country's main men's basketball competition. In a match held on November 20th, Botafogo defeated Rio Claro 74-61. Monitoring reports point to evidence described as "clear and overwhelming" of manipulation, suggesting that bettors had prior knowledge that the total points would not exceed 160.
Ten days ago, Rio Claro was once again involved in a suspicious case after losing to São José 95-64. Monitoring systems detected a high volume of bets predicting a Rio Claro defeat by a margin of at least 15 points.
In an official statement, the National Basketball League reported that it became aware of the suspected match-fixing allegations in NBB games on November 21, 2025. The organization immediately notified the Federal Police, the São Paulo Civil Police, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Sport, the Brazilian Basketball Confederation, and FIBA.
Rio Claro, a traditional team from São Paulo, had been inactive for two years before announcing its return to the courts in June of this year, with investment from a Serbian businessman. The investor was Svetozar Popovic, 38, who signed a four-year contract with the club.
Popovic brought Bosnian point guard Marko Rikalo and Serbian shooting guard Nemanja Simovic to Rio Claro. The project also included Serbian Milan Vulic as a consultant, and in October, the club announced the hiring of another compatriot, coach Slobodan Nikolic.
In recent weeks, after learning of the investigations – which included a visit from FIBA representatives to the club – Rio Claro dismissed all professionals linked to Popovic. In an official statement, the club informed:
"Conta Simples Rio Claro informs that, as soon as it became aware of investigations involving practices that are inconsistent with its commitment to sporting integrity, it formally notified the foreign investor to terminate the agreement it had with the club."
Similarly, the contract of player Marko Rikalo has been terminated and, as previously announced, the club no longer has coach Slobodan Nikolic.
The continuity of Rio Claro Basquete after the departure of the foreign investor is ensured by the sponsorship of Conta Simples, which is guaranteeing its financial stability, with full responsibility in conducting its activities and fulfilling its commitments.
The team reiterates that it acts ethically and transparently in all its relationships, maintaining the professionalism of its operations, in addition to efficient financial management focused on building a solid, responsible, and long-term project that will allow the club to consistently regain its place among the top basketball teams in the country.
The news report attempted to contact representatives from Botafogo, Santo André, and Taubaté. Botafogo did not respond to the requests, while it was not possible to establish contact with representatives from the other two teams.
The Brazilian Basketball Confederation issued an official statement acknowledging that it is aware of the articles published this week regarding alleged cases of match-fixing. The organization declared its opposition to any action that violates the integrity and fair play of the sport, emphasizing that match-fixing is considered a crime in Brazil.
The Brazilian Basketball Confederation (CBB) also offered its support to FIBA and any other organization working towards fair play, stating that it is awaiting further developments and will, if necessary, use its bylaws and code of ethics to take a position.
Official Statement – Vasco da Gama
Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama reports that it has filed a complaint with the 17th Police Precinct regarding a suspected case of enticing basketball team athletes with the aim of manipulating match results.
The club is taking all appropriate measures to preserve the integrity of Vasco da Gama, its professionals, its basketball team, and the sport itself, always guided by ethics, transparency, and respect for competitions.
Vasco da Gama vehemently condemns the irresponsible leak of the police report by a media outlet, which improperly exposes club professionals and athletes in an extremely sensitive matter. Given the seriousness of this episode, Vasco da Gama informs that it is evaluating the appropriate measures to hold those involved accountable.
We reiterate that Vasco da Gama is fully cooperating with the competent authorities, making itself available for all necessary clarifications and for the full progress of the investigations.
