Parliamentarians who support the proposal that regulates the Legal Framework for Gambling in Brazil are considering the possibility that the bill will advance in the Federal Senate in a window of opportunity that will occur after the elections. The text was approved in the Chamber of Deputies earlier this year, and has been awaiting consideration in the Senate since then.
Several senators will run again this year. However, pressure increased after the approval of the bill that defined a new national floor for nurses. The relationship between the two proposals lies in the fact that the text that establishes the nursing floor and which was approved does not have sources of resources to meet this demand.
According to Yahoo, party leaders in the Chamber began debating so that the tax revenue that would come with the regularization of the games was sent to fund the new floor for nurses.
The text of the Legal Framework for Gambling provides for the creation of a contribution on the marketing of betting games. One of the alternatives for the nurses’ minimum is to raise the percentage of this Cide destined to the financing of actions in public health from 4% to 12%.
The rapporteur of the project for the games in the Chamber, Felipe Carreras (PSB-PE), met with the president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), to discuss the issue. The deputy told supporters that he is in no hurry for the Legal Framework for the Games to be approved, even more so if there is a risk of being rejected due to electoral pressure.
Therefore, Carreras discussed with Pacheco the chance to take advantage of this ‘window of opportunity’ after the elections and before the end of the current legislature, thus getting rid of possible resistance in Congress. The president of the Senate, in turn, reinforced that he did not guarantee the vote on the project this year.
On the other hand, the rapporteur for the nurses’ floor, deputy Carmen Zanotto (Citizenship-SC), sought the president of the CCJ (Constitution and Justice Commission) of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre (União Brasil-AP), to try to promptly unlock the games design. There is an articulation of deputies and some senators so that the text is voted on until the parliamentary recess, scheduled for July.
One way to gain support in the Senate was to try to link the gaming project to another one underway in the House, which allows for the construction of casino resorts. The author of the proposal, Senator Irajá (PSD-TO), could be appointed rapporteur of the bill that allows gambling.
According to Irajá, the proposal could open 200 thousand new jobs and attract R$ 44 billion in investments. “Brazil is not in a position to resort to new investments. Integrated resorts are a business model that generates billions of dollars in revenue for governments and companies around the world”, he declared.
The anticipation of the analysis of the Legal Framework for Gambling, however, does not please the Senate leadership. Pacheco says he has other voting priorities in 2022, encompassing controversial projects where closing deals is a challenge.
Processing of the Legal Framework for Gambling has lasted three decades
The project that releases casinos, bingos and Jogo do Bicho in Brazil had been in progress for 30 years and was the target of attempts to obstruct the religious bench. The text was presented by the deputy Renato Vianna (MDB-SC) in 1991 and was processed with some regularity until 1995, when it stopped. The theme was resumed in 2008, but also without progress.
In 2015, a special commission was created to evaluate the agenda. The collegiate prepared a report, used by Carreras as a basis for his opinion. The proposal approved by the House aims to regulate casino games, bingo, animal games, turf and online games. The project covers tourist casinos – hotels that could explore the activity, a proposal similar to that of the Senate – and stipulates the number of casino licenses in states.
One of the points used by the rapporteur in the Chamber in the conversation with Pacheco was the increase in online betting, which still needs broader regulation. This issue is also frequently raised by the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira (PP-AL).
