Celso Sabino, Minister of Tourism, has been in contact with all senators in recent weeks, to look for names to support the bill that authorizes the operation of casinos, bingo, horse racing and even Jogo do Bicho.
The CCJ approved the Casinos Bill
To give you an idea, the proposal to regularize casinos and gambling has been in progress in the National Congress for more than 30 years. The proposal envisages the creation of casino resorts, but to receive an operating license they must have:
- Hotels
- Shoppings
- Halls for social events
- Restaurants
It is clear that the sector that would be most favored is tourism, with very significant gains and the one that would benefit most from tax collection.
After 31 years, the project was finally approved by the Chamber in December 2022 and on June 19, it was approved by the Senate’s CCJ (Constitution and Justice Commission). The next step is to go to the plenary for a final vote.
In recent weeks, Sabino met with senator Davi Alcolumbre (União Brasil-AP), who presides over the CCJ and exercises great influence over parliamentarians. Furthermore, other senators from different parties, such as PSD, MDB and PDT, joined the conversation in order to obtain support.
Strengths
The creation of casinos integrated into resorts is more than simply attracting more tourists to Brazil. The positive points are:
- Increase tourism in the region
- Generate jobs direct jobs with construction.
- Generate indirect jobs with services around the enterprises
- Increase tax collection
However, despite many advantages, the legalization of casinos and gaming faces resistance from the evangelical bench. The final say on the approval of the project now rests with the Senate plenary.
In short, Minister Celso Sabino is committed to ensuring the necessary support for the PL to become a reality. Gaming already exists, but the hope is that casinos and other forms of gaming can finally operate legally in Brazil.
