Illegal Lotteries Operated by Colombians Expand Across Greater Porto Alegre

The illegal lotteries operated by Colombian migrants continue to proliferate in the Greater Porto Alegre region, even after police actions. In 2023, a series of reports by the RBS Investigation Group (GDI) revealed the activities of Colombians who exploited an illegal game in Canoas. They sold tickets for a lottery called Bono a Estrela, with prizes of up to R$ 5,000 for those who matched a sequence of four numbers. The operation resulted in the arrest of 11 Colombians, who later made judicial agreements and avoided imprisonment.

Despite the arrests, the criminal activity did not cease. The report identified that the Colombians merely changed the names of the games and expanded their operations to new cities. Now, illegal lotteries such as Fortuna, Sua Sorte, and Pegue Sorte are sold in Porto Alegre, Alvorada, and Cachoeirinha, respectively. Each ticket, which costs R$ 5, offers eight number sequences and is valid for the day of purchase, with drawings held from Monday to Saturday.

The raffles, often conducted in private residences and broadcast via WhatsApp, continue without any oversight or transparency, leaving gamblers at the mercy of the operators' honesty. In Alvorada, for example, vendors are easily found in the central streets, promoting ticket sales with loudspeakers. Despite the complaints and the visibility of the operations, the illegal activities continue without significant intervention from local authorities, allowing the clandestine lottery to thrive in the region.