Project that legalizes gambling in Brazil awaits consideration in the Senate
Photo: [email protected] / Agência Senado

The Senate will be able to vote on the bill that legalizes gambling in Brazil, including casinos, bingos, Jogo do Bicho and sports betting (PL 442/1991). The suggestion came from party leaders who met with the president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, in search of solutions to enable the payment of the national nursing floor.

Authored by Renato Vianna, a former deputy for Santa Catarina, the project that allows gambling in Brazil was sent to the Senate after the Chamber of Deputies had finalized the vote on the agenda, in February, with the rejection of seven highlights that would change the proposition text.

The deputies maintained the opinion of deputy Felipe Carreras (PSB-PE), who grants permanent or temporary licenses to explore the activity. Each state may have one casino, with the exception of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, which may have two, and São Paulo, three.

The taxation of gambling was among the most controversial aspects of the vote. One of the PT’s highlights, rejected by the deputies, wanted to increase the Cide rate from up to 17% to 30%, with the incidence on gross revenue instead of profit. At the time, Felipe Carreras pondered that the tax model should allow the attraction of investments.

According to the project’s rapporteur, the rate will still be lower than that of the entertainment sector, with an incidence of 16.33%. Opposition deputies also complained about a provision that exempts the exploitation of gambling and betting from any other contributions or taxes.

Check out the highlights of the proposal to release gambling in Brazil

Casinos

According to the project, the casinos can be installed in resorts as part of an integrated leisure complex that will need to have at least 100 high-end hotel rooms, meeting and event venues, restaurants, bars and shopping centers. The physical area of ​​the casino must be, at most, equal to 20% of the complex’s built-up space, and electronic and roulette, card games and other authorized modalities may be explored.

In order to define the places where the casinos will be able to operate, the Executive Power must consider the existence of tourist heritage and the economic and social potential of the region. Each economic group may hold only one concession per state, and accreditation will be carried out by public auction in the technical and price modality.

In addition, the Executive Branch may grant the operation of casinos in leisure complexes to up to two establishments in states with a dimension greater than 1 million square kilometers (Amazonas and Pará).

Touristic cities

In locations considered to be tourist hubs or destinations, the installation of a casino will be authorized, regardless of the population density of the state in which they are located.

The project presents these places as those that have a regional identity, appropriate infrastructure and offer of tourist services, high density of tourists and title of natural heritage of humanity, in addition to having tourism as a primary economic activity.

A tourist casino cannot be located less than 100 kilometers away from any casino integrated into a leisure complex.

Ships

New in relation to previous versions of the proposal is the operation of casinos on river vessels, one for each river with 1,500 km to 2,500 km in length; two for each river with a length between 2,500 km and 3,500 km; and three per river with a length greater than 3,500 km.

These vessels may not remain anchored in the same location for more than 30 consecutive days, and the concession may be for up to ten establishments. These ships must have at least 50 high-end rooms, restaurants and bars and shopping centers, as well as specific spaces for events and meetings.

Bingo

Regarding bingo, the text allows its exploitation on a permanent basis only in bingo houses, allowing municipalities and the Federal District to explore these games in stadiums with a capacity of over 15 thousand fans.

Bingo houses will need to have a minimum capital of BRL 10 million. The minimum area is 1,500 square meters, where up to 400 video bingo machines can be located. However, slot machines will be prohibited.

According to the bill, a maximum of one bingo house will be accredited for every 150,000 inhabitants. The authorized places will have a 25-year authorization, renewable for an equal period.

Jogo do Bicho

For the legalization of the Jogo do Bicho, the project requires that all the licensee’s records, whether betting or extraction, be computerized and with the possibility of access in real time (online) by the Union, through the Audit and Control System ( SAC).

Interested parties must present a minimum share capital of R$ 10 million and reserve funds in guarantee for the payment of stipulated obligations and duties, except for the award, which may be in the form of a cash guarantee, insurance guarantee or bank guarantee.

Accreditation will be for 25 years, renewable for an equal period if the requirements are met. There may be, at most, one operator of this activity for every 700 thousand inhabitants of the state or Federal District. In those with less than 700 thousand inhabitants, there should only be one accredited for the animal game.

According to Agência Senado, the redemption of prizes up to the Income Tax exemption limit will not require identification of the player.

Temporary operation

The text also provides that, if after 12 months of validity of the future law there is no regulation, the provisional operation of video bingo, bingo and Jogo do Bicho will be authorized throughout the country until the regulation is released.