While the bill addressing the national legalization of gambling remains stalled in the National Congress, companies in the sector are seeking to expand their operations. The goal is to expand betting operations, currently concentrated in the virtual environment, to the physical setting.
This change would open up a new business landscape, already underway in Paraná, Paraíba, and Tocantins. In Rio de Janeiro, however, the proposal is more ambitious, aiming to revive the era when casinos were thriving in places like the Copacabana Palace and Urca. “We’ll be the national version of Las Vegas,” said Hazenclever Cançado, president of Loterj.
Plan details and regulations
Loterj has already authorized 19 companies to install video lottery machines (VLTs), with a goal of reaching 200,000 within two years. Among the planned locations are the Hotel Nacional and the Jockey Club.
These spaces would house restaurants, stages for shows, and large screens for sports broadcasts. Although similar to slot machines, VLTs operate differently, as they are electronic and are equivalent to scratch-off tickets.
“The prize amount and frequency are predetermined in a finite, numbered series, approved and monitored by Loterj,” explained Magno José, president of the Brazilian Legal Game Institute. The control includes drawings of at least 65% of the proceeds and the use of QR codes to restrict access to adults.
Governor Cláudio Castro (PL) signed a decree regulating the activity based on the 2023 federal law, which authorized the operation of online and physical gambling. The Supreme Federal Court ruled that companies must operate only in the state that issued the license.
“Gambling is an economic activity practiced in several countries. It generates jobs and encourages tourism, but it needs to be monitored,” said Castro, estimating 65,000 jobs.
Resistance and questioning
Despite the expected increase in revenue, which currently totals around R$30 million annually, the plan faces opposition. Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes (PSD) criticized the release and vetoed permits for companies already preparing to operate.
“If we’re going to build a Las Vegas, we need to have adequate legislation for opening casinos. The way the approval was implemented, we have no control,” Paes declared.
The “Las Vegas Plan” is driven by the potential to boost revenue and improve Rio’s fragile fiscal situation. “Regulation will bring security to gamblers,” Governor Claudio Castro noted.
