The new minister of the Institutional Relations Secretariat, José Guimarães, signaled that Brazil is unlikely to ban betting platforms.
In his first press conference in office, held this Thursday (16), he made it clear that the political scenario in the National Congress does not allow space for radical measures against the sector.
Instead of banning operations, the path forward is market regulation.
Why Congress Prefers to Create Rules Instead of Banning Betting
Guimarães, who until then served as government leader in the Chamber of Representatives, said he knew the climate among parliamentarians well.
He explained that, although the Executive discusses the matter internally and is concerned about the relationship between betting and family debt, representatives and senators have a different view.
The Civil House and the economic team are still studying measures on the topic, but did not provide details.
The minister was direct about the barriers the government faces in the Legislature.
“What I feel in Congress is that the group is willing to regulate, but put an end to betting… We have to take into account the correlation of forces,” he said.
He also reinforced the parliamentarians’ position to focus on creating rules for companies that already operate in the country.
From what I understand, Congress is only interested in regulating.”
The political wear and tear generated by the “blouse tax”
During the conversation with the press, the minister also addressed another sensitive topic that affects the popularity of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s administration: the taxation of international purchases of up to US$50, which became known as the “blouse tax”.
Pointing out the charge as a negative point for the government, Guimarães gave his personal view on the matter.
“If the government decides to revoke the tax on blouses, I think it’s a good thing,” he declared.
Despite being quite unpopular and having already received criticism even from the first lady, Rosângela da Silva, the measure was approved in Congress with the support of opposing parties, such as PT and PL.
The decision responded to pressure from the national retail sector and the economic team’s need to increase tax collection.
