Brazilian police officer Danilo Negrão dies after gambling addiction, leaves family in debt
Danilo Lopes Negrão, a 41‑year‑old lieutenant of the Goiás Military Police, began betting on online games during the 2022 World Cup. Within months he accumulated nearly R$ 1 million in debt, borrowing money to keep gambling. He experienced anxiety and depression, received psychological and medical care, but his situation worsened. Seven months after his gambling started, Negrão committed suicide in 2023, leaving his wife, nurse Raquel Maria, and their young daughter.
Maria posted a video on Instagram on 22 June, saying, “A tragédia é real, é uma tragédia anunciada… Se você puder parar, pare de jogar.” The video, which has tens of thousands of views, urges people not to gamble and shares her experience of receiving messages from others facing similar problems. She also listed resources such as the Centro de Valorização da Vida (CVV) and UNICEF’s Canal Pode Falar for mental‑health support.