The Economic Development Committee (CDE) of the Chamber of Deputies rejected on Wednesday (9) Bill 5433 of 2023, which proposes the legalization of casinos in Brazil. The rapporteur of the matter, deputy Vitor Lippi (PSDB-SP), presented a contrary opinion, arguing that legalization would bring more risks than benefits.
According to him, the potential positive effects are limited to the short term and do not provide sustainable economic growth. Lippi believes that legalizing casinos generates “localized and short-term impacts, without adding lasting value to the economy.”
He also highlighted the increase in gambling addiction, family over-indebtedness and the possibility of an increase in illicit activities related to the segment.
With the CDE’s decision, bill PL 5433 of 2023 will proceed normally to other committees that will analyze the proposal from different aspects.
Analysis of other commissions on the legalization of casinos
The text must pass through the Tourism Committee, the Finance and Taxation Committee, and then the Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ). It’s important to note that the CDE is not conclusive, so subsequent stages may still alter or reject the bill.
During the debate, the president of the Economic Development Commission, Lafayette de Andrada (Republicanos-MG), reinforced his position against the approval of Bill 5433 of 2023.
“There is no justification for moving forward with this proposal, considering that a project with similar content, and according to our assessment, more judicious, is currently under consideration in the Senate,” said Lafayette de Andrada when explaining his understanding of the matter.
He referred to Bill 2234 of 2022, called the Casinos Bill, which is currently progressing through discussions in the National Congress.
Casino Bill is being processed in the Senate
The bill in question, Bill 2234 of 2022, addresses not only the legalization of casinos but also proposes the authorization of land-based bingo halls and jogo do bicho (animal game). Furthermore, it also proposes the regulation of horse racing betting.
In the Federal Senate, the proposal was on the voting agenda on Tuesday (8), however, the deliberation was postponed due to the lack of consensus among the parliamentarians involved. There is still no new date for analysis of the project in the Plenary of the House.
The debate over legalizing land-based gaming in Brazil remains active in the legislative sphere. While some members of Congress support regulation as an alternative for raising funds and boosting tourism, others highlight concerns about potential negative social and economic consequences.
