Members of parliament from different parties removed from the Senate Plenary agenda last Wednesday (18) the bill that deals with the legalization of casinos and gambling. The proposal also provides for the legalization of jogo do bicho, slot machines, online gambling and horse racing bets, according to Bill No. 2,234 of 2022.
The move came after coordination between senators opposed to the bill, who pressured to prevent the vote. The text was even included as an extra item on the agenda in the last plenary session, but it did not advance to a deliberation on the merits.
What arguments were presented by the opposing senators?
Senators from various parties have once again mobilized to prevent the vote on the bill that would legalize casinos and bingo halls and other forms of gambling.
When mentioning the situation of bets, the opposing parliamentarians stated that legalizing gambling tends to increase the population’s indebtedness and ludopathy, defined as gambling addiction.
Senator Eduardo Girão, from the Novo party in Ceará, stated that cross-party coordination remains active with the goal of definitively rejecting the proposal.
Eduardo Girão stated: “The Federal Senate would be making another big mistake, just as it did when it approved betting houses (bets) with my dissenting vote and that of a few other colleagues here. A more in-depth debate on this is needed.”
Meanwhile, opponents argued that the issue requires broader discussion before any decision is made. They also stressed that the current climate of crime and corruption makes it impossible to move the proposal forward at this time.
How did the rapporteur respond to the criticisms presented?
In refuting the opposing arguments, the bill’s rapporteur, Senator Irajá, from the Social Democratic Party of Tocantins, highlighted conditions stipulated in the text.
According to him, the operation of casinos depends on investments that can reach R$ 100 million, in addition to authorization from the Ministry of Finance and the payment of fees and taxes.
Citing an estimated revenue of R$ 20 billion, the rapporteur stated that the proposal seeks to regulate activities that already occur clandestinely.
Irajá stated: “In truth, the project was not included in the off-agenda, which was the request we were discussing, thus postponing the discussion of the merits.”
Now they have to sit down with President Davi and the leaders, make an assessment, and then decide on the best time to vote.
“That’s what we’ve all been advocating for: the generation of jobs, income, and taxes for the country, which unfortunately we don’t collect at all today because everything is operating clandestinely. Therefore, it becomes a great opportunity for the country.”
Finally, the bill dealing with the legalization of land-based casinos and bingo halls is expected to return to the Senate Plenary’s agenda next year.
