The government of Maranhão went to the Supreme Federal Court (STF) this Wednesday (5) to reverse a lawsuit that asks for the unconstitutionality of the Sports Betting Law.
To that end, the state attorney’s office filed a request to participate as amicus curiae (a Latin expression meaning “friend of the court”). The governor of Maranhão is Carlos Brandão (PSB), who has a good relationship with Flávio Dino, who is currently a minister on the Supreme Federal Court.
The amicus curiae modality is a form of participation in the process that allows contributing arguments that help the Court make a decision. However, the Supreme Federal Court (STF) has ongoing cases questioning the constitutionality of sportsbooks. Minister Luiz Fux is the rapporteur for these cases.
According to the prosecutor’s statement, the regulation promotes a safe environment for gambling. “Contrary to the applicant’s claims, the Betting Law promotes a safe and controlled gambling environment, establishing rigorous measures to prevent addiction and default.”
“Proper regulation, instead of exacerbating social problems, mitigates them through control and prevention measures expressly provided for in the law itself,” says an excerpt from the statement.
Furthermore, the petition also states that regulating the sector creates job opportunities. “Regulating sports betting brings significant benefits to the Brazilian economy and society.”
“First, the regulated sector creates formal job opportunities in various areas, from technological development to customer service, contributing to a reduction in unemployment. Furthermore, regulated activity generates substantial tax revenue for the federal, state, and municipal governments, strengthening public finances.”
How the government of Maranhão seeks to defend Lotema.
The ongoing process of maintaining Lotema, the state lottery of Maranhão, is also one of the justifications for defending the case before the Supreme Court. This is because, if the actions in the Supreme Court are approved by the legal experts, it could shut down Lotema’s operations.
“All studies and procedures for the implementation of the Maranhão State Lottery were carried out with the establishment of rigorous criteria for the accreditation of operators in the State, supported by state and federal legislation for operation,” he argued in the lawsuit.
The National Confederation of Commerce (CNC) and the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) have filed lawsuits in the Supreme Federal Court to overturn the Sports Betting Law. This was done through two separate legal actions.
