The city of Araxá, Minas Gerais, has taken the initiative and is already moving to open casinos. The City Council approved a bill to regulate casino operations, even before the bill was voted on by the National Congress.
Authored by Mayor Robson Magela, PL154/2025 authorizes the concession of “gaming services in a tourist modality” to the private sector.
Located in a tourist region, Alto Paranaíba, the municipality is betting on the option of a physical casino to boost the local economy. The city was already a benchmark for this type of venture when it opened Brazil’s first casino in 1944 at the Grande Hotel Termas.
According to Ítalo Marcus Borges, the municipal secretary of Economic Development, the project’s approval demonstrates Araxá’s readiness to host casinos, in accordance with the requirements currently under consideration in the National Congress.
“We have advantages, such as the resort complex and other expansion areas, which also serve as an incentive for other ventures. In addition to the location, with easy access to São Paulo and Goiás, Araxá is also considered the safest city in the state and has an HDI above 7.7%. This favors attracting investment,” he highlighted.
In Borges’s assessment, the return of a casino to Araxá will promote economic growth across the board. “The expectation is that it will boost both commerce and the provision of services, encompassing the areas of health, security, and education,” he emphasized.
Growth of local tourism
Araxá is a municipality that continues to invest increasingly in the tourism sector. In this way, it has established itself as a major hub for the sector and business in Minas Gerais.
Currently, the municipality has 2,700 beds in its hotel network, and plans to open two more hotels this year.
In addition, the city also hosts 20 tourism events annually, with national and international repercussions, such as Expoqueijo.
Processing of the Casinos Bill
Bill (PL) 2,234/2022, which provides for authorization for casinos, bingo halls and similar games, has already been approved by the Senate’s Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ) and is now on its way to the plenary.
With approval, there will be regulations for licenses, operating criteria, infrastructure requirements (operation with resorts or high-end hotels), social control, among other provisions.
According to the amendment, presented to the CCJ, up to three casinos are expected to operate in Minas Gerais. However, the number of casinos tends to vary depending on the population size of each state.
