The City Council of São Carlos, in the state of São Paulo, approved a bill from the Netto Donato (PP) government that establishes a municipal lottery. The vote took place under urgency during the session last Wednesday (5), with 14 votes in favor and 4 against.
The council members who opposed the measure were Raquel Auxiliadora (PT), Lineu Navarro (PT), Larissa Camargo (PCdoB), and Djalma Nery (PSOL).
The new legislation authorizes the granting of lottery service concessions in the municipality for 25 years. The law stipulates that a portion of the revenue collected will go to areas such as health, education, security, and social assistance.
In a document attached to the project, the municipal government emphasizes that it is “not creating any game” and classifies the measure as an “innovative solution” to increase the collection of public funds.
How the municipal lottery could impact São Carlos.
The debates in the City Council revealed divergent positions on the subject. Councilwoman Raquel Auxiliadora, one of the opponents of the project, warned of the social risks associated with gambling: “A government that claims to defend the family should think about the families of São Carlos. There are couples who separate, children who indebt their parents and grandparents.”
On the other hand, Gustavo Pozzi (PL) defended the initiative, arguing that the resources could be invested in essential sectors such as “health and social assistance”.
National context and legal questions
Since the beginning of the year, the Supreme Federal Court (STF) has been debating the legality of municipal laws that create local lotteries. The Solidarity party filed a lawsuit requesting the suspension of these regulations and an analysis of their constitutionality.
The document mentions private companies that won bids to operate municipal lotteries without authorization from the Ministry of Treasury.
Although the federal government sets a minimum grant of R$ 30 million, some companies pay only R$ 5,000 to the municipalities.
Thus, the lawsuit argues that there is an encroachment on federal jurisdiction, since the Constitution grants “exclusively to the Union the power to legislate on consortium and lottery systems.”
Finally, the city hall of São Carlos informed that there is still no defined deadline for the implementation of the municipal lottery.