‘Capybara Influencer’ in Amazonas promotes betting site investigated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office
27 de May de 2025
By Jadson Lima – From Cenarium
MANAUS (AM) – After the case of Filó the capybara in Amazonas, which gained national attention, influencer Agenor Tupinambá became one of the promoters of the online betting platform Blaze, which is under investigation for fraud. Today, two years after a legal dispute with the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) to keep Filó, he lives on a farm in the countryside of the state and works as a content creator.
Boosted on social media for showcasing a riverside lifestyle and raising a capybara as a “pet,” Tupinambá fought the institute over the domestication of the wild animal. At the time, he received support from public figures such as state deputy Joana Darc (União Brasil). Currently, the influencer has over 1.7 million followers on just one social media platform.
On July 29, 2023, the Amazonian influencer Agenor Tupinambá promoted an online betting platform for the first time on his social media profile. The post included information on how to claim bonuses and dozens of free spins for followers who accessed a link in the caption of a photo showing him holding a cellphone with the platform’s logo.
Upon reviewing Tupinambá’s profile, CENARIUM counted at least ten advertisements for the same betting platform as of May 16 of this year. All posts had comments disabled. The recent posts also show a shift in the influencer’s online persona. He claims the platform offers “real fun” and urges followers to gamble responsibly.
The repeated promotions suggest the influencer has an active contract with the platform. “Real fun is only on Blaze, which plays with you. Play responsibly. Remember, it’s for people over 18, and Blaze is 100% legalized in Brazil,” Tupinambá says in his latest pinned post. See below:
Despite being legalized, the online betting platform has had employees summoned to testify before the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee (CPI) in the Senate. The committee of senators is investigating the possible association of the online betting sector with criminal organizations and illicit practices, as well as the role of digital influencers in popularizing betting platforms.
The report contacted the influencer through social media for clarification on the platform promotion. He was also asked about the potential value of his contract with the betting company, but there has been no response so far.
Investigated for Fraud
On November 11, 2024, members of the Bets CPI voted to summon a communications staff member from the company Tupinambá promotes on social media, following a request by Senator Izalci Lucas (PL-DF). Miguel Duarte, senior marketing consultant at Blaze, was summoned to the National Congress as a witness.
“The summoning of Blaze platform representatives is essential for the CPI, since the company is under investigation for fraud, including failure to pay prizes to bettors. Blaze has also been involved in several controversies, being accused of promoting practices that facilitate result manipulation and money laundering,” said Senator Izalci Lucas in the justification.
According to the senator, the betting platform “has faced investigations and fraud accusations in Brazil, and the courts have frozen over R$100 million from the company. It has no legal representatives in Brazil.” So far, the summoned individual has not been heard.
Case Dismissed
The investigation against the platform by Brazilian authorities was initiated after bettors reported that higher-value prizes on the betting site were not being paid. The case was handled by the São Paulo Civil Police (PC-SP). The state court even froze over R$100 million from the company and took the platform offline.
Months later, the São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP-SP) requested the dismissal of the investigation, arguing that Law 14.790/23, enacted in December 2023, established general regulations for fixed-odds betting.
The institution stated that the investigations found no “evidence” of fraud or swindling crimes, and therefore, there was “no just cause to support the continuation of the criminal investigation.”