Treasure Mania

What is Treasure Mania?

Data from the Rede em Jogo project, by CondadoLab at PUC-Rio, revealed that 84% of the betting operators most recommended on Instagram are illegal in Brazil.

The research, published by The Intercept Brasil on Monday, analysed more than 55,000 Instagram accounts and cross-referenced the results with the official list of authorised operators from the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA).

According to the survey, the problem arises when a user follows a single account related to betting. The platform’s recommendation system then starts showing other profiles in the same segment, including betting sites, influencers and specialised pages.

What is Treasure Mania?

“Wherever there is investment from the operator or the platform in properly investing in the infrastructure needed to maximise the output of the product, we have seen great returns, ROI, on that investment,” Wilson says.

In other words, there is no magic “engagement” button. There are tools, expertise and an operator willing to put both to work.

For existing Splash Tech partners, “different” is not supposed to mean disruption. Maintaining the company’s products, expertise and relationships was a central consideration during the transaction.

What is Treasure Mania?

Over 100 officers participated in the operation. Authorities seized several high-value vehicles, froze numerous bank accounts and imposed an asset restraint order valued at around €82 million. An arrest warrant was also executed.

Prosecutors allege that five suspects had operated internet-based gambling services without the required German licences from at least July 2021. The volume of bets placed on these platforms reportedly exceeded €5.8 billion between mid-2021 and the end of 2023. 

In addition to illegal gambling, investigators suspect extensive tax evasion, with a projected tax shortfall of about €77.6 million for 2024.