Chamber of Deputies analyzes project that creates lotteries to finance health and tourism
Photo: Agência de Notícias da Câmara

The Plenary of the Chamber of Deputies analyzes a project that authorizes the creation of Health and Tourism lotteries in physical or virtual bets. The proposal is the Federal Senate’s replacement for Bill 1561/20, approved by the House last year.

The agenda increases the lottery modalities provided for by the Chamber of Deputies. There is the possibility of creating lotteries for sports predictions and fixed-odds bets. In addition, the new lotteries may be subject to concession to the private sector.

The Ministry of Economy will determine, in 30 days, the concession of the Health Lottery and the Tourism Lottery. But this point was criticized by deputy Erika Kokay (PT-DF). “It is not known what the methods will be for choosing this company. No bidding required to operate. This is a scandal, it’s favoring a company that, of course, you already know who it will be”, he said.

The leader of Psol, deputy Sâmia Bomfim (SP), also criticized the breaking of Caixa Econômica Federal’s monopoly on lotteries. On the other hand, the project was supported by the rapporteur, deputy Giovani Cherini (PL-RS). “This lottery would be the big bid to pay the nurses’ salary. What will be done is to provide more resources for the Ministry of Health and for Embratur”, he explained.

Cherini stressed that Caixa Econômica Federal is not prevented from being part of the dispute to organize the new lottery service. “We want to open up the possibility to the private sector”, he declared.

Transfer of the collection of the new lotteries

The project establishes that the amount obtained by the Health Lottery and the Tourism Lottery will be divided as follows:

  • In the lottery modality of numerical predictions: 95% for the operator agent and 5% for the National Health Fund (FNS), in the case of the Health Lottery; and to the Brazilian Agency for the International Promotion of Tourism (Embratur), in the case of the Tourism Lottery;
  • In the lottery modality of sports predictions and fixed-odds bets: 95% for the operator agent; 3.37% for the FNS, in the case of the Health Lottery; and for Embratur, in the case of the Tourism Lottery; 1.63% for clubs that cede the rights to use their denominations, their brands, their emblems, their anthems, their symbols and the like for dissemination.

In addition, the amounts referring to prizes not redeemed by players will be transferred to the National Health Fund in the case of the Health Lottery; and to Embratur, in the case of the Tourism Lottery. Cherini also clarified that, in the total of 95% transferred to the operator, are the resources for payment of taxes and cost of lottery services.