The expectation is that the Senate will legalize casinos, bingos, Jogo do Bicho and betting on horse races by the end of the year. This agenda is scheduled to be voted on in the House Plenary this Wednesday (4).
Even if the vote is postponed, senators believe that approval will occur later this year, with Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) presiding over the House. Pacheco will leave his position in February of next year.
Senator Ciro Nogueira (PI), from the PP, has been one of the organizers of the legalization of casinos in Brazil for ten years. He has already secured the necessary votes for the project to reach the plenary and be approved, according to his allies.
In 2014, Ciro presented a similar project, which was archived, but now re-presented in a new format.
PL dos Cassinos approved in the Chamber
The text on the legalization of casinos was already approved by the Chamber in February 2022. In June this year, it passed the Senate Constitution and Justice Committee by 14 votes to 12. Therefore, the project needs 41 of the 81 senators to approve it to continue to presidential sanction.
Parliamentarians claim that “the climate has changed”, which favors the approval of casinos. Brazil has already regulated sports betting and online gaming, eliminating the logic of maintaining vetoes on businesses that can generate jobs and attract investment.
The federal government’s stance changed with the management transition. During the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL), there was a threat of a veto on the casino legalization project, influenced by advisors such as Silas Malafaia, who positioned himself as a representative of evangelicals opposed to the proposal.
However, the Lula (PT) administration opened space to discuss the issue. Lula even said that he will sanction the project if it passes through Congress. Right at the beginning of his term, Lula’s economic team proposed the regulation of online betting as a strategy to increase tax revenue.
Opposition works to delay vote
In 2004, during his first term, Lula banned bingos due to a corruption scandal. Thus, the main argument against casinos is the potential lack of oversight, thus allowing money laundering by criminal organizations on a large scale.
Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) worked on the legalization of casinos, visiting Las Vegas and meeting with businessmen.
However, he changed his position, aligning himself with the evangelical bench, his father and Silas Malafaia. Flávio voted against the project at the CCJ.
Silas Malafaia states that tax revenue is less than the potential social damage of casinos. He asks: “How can we open a bingo in regions controlled by drug traffickers? They will operate officially now.” Malafaia criticizes comparisons with developed countries, arguing that Brazil has socioeconomic peculiarities.
Furthermore, Senator Carlos Viana (Podemos-MG) stated this Monday that he, along with other parliamentarians from the evangelical bench, will do “everything” to delay the vote on the project to legalize casinos and gambling.
Main points of PL dos Cassinos
On the other hand, senator Irajá (PSD-TO), rapporteur of the project, states that the text prevents the uncontrolled proliferation of gambling companies. Bets will only be permitted via Pix or debit card, excluding cash payments; which will facilitate audits and public inspection.
Main Points of the Project:
- Casinos in tourist centers or leisure complexes, such as resorts or high-end hotels.
- Limit of casinos by state, based on population and territory.
- Minimum share capital of R$100 million and accreditation for 30 years.
- Casinos on river and sea vessels, with anchoring restrictions.
- Licenses for Jogo do Bicho and bingo based on population density.
- Horse racing establishments may operate bingo and video bingo.
