The project that authorizes the creation of Health and Tourism lotteries was approved in the Chamber of Deputies and now goes to President Jair Bolsonaro for sanction. According to Agência Câmara, PL 1.561/2020 provides for the establishment of games with virtual and physical bets, managed by a private company. The Senate approved the text in March, with rapporteurship by Senator Weverton (PDT-AM).
According to the proposal, the Ministry of Economy will determine, within 30 days, the concession of the Health Lottery and the Tourism Lottery, which will transfer their resources, respectively, to the National Health Fund (FNS) and to the Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion (Embratur).
Both the resources obtained from the sale of the game and the prizes not requested by the winners will have this destination. Both games will be operated by the Ministries of Health and Tourism, after regulation by the Ministry of Economy.
Details of how the new lotteries work
In all gambling categories to be launched, 95% of the proceeds will go to the operator agent (excluding the prize). In the prediction betting modality, 5% of the collection of the Health and Tourism Lotteries will belong to the FNS or Embratur, respectively.
In the sports betting and fixed-odds modality, the participation of the National Health Fund and Embratur will be 3.37%, and the clubs that cede the rights will receive 1.63%.
The money for the FNS must be earmarked exclusively for programs to prevent and combat Covid-19, with priority for the acquisition of supplies and vaccines. This rule is valid for the duration of the public health emergency due to the pandemic.
While the resources of the Tourism Lottery should be applied by Embratur in actions to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on the segment and, after the end of the pandemic, in credit operations for companies.
In the original version of the bill, presented by Deputy Captain Wagner (Pros-CE), the Tourism Lottery would be temporary, offered only until the end of the year and its values would be transferred to the General Tourism Fund (Fungetur). While the agenda was being processed in the Senate, Weverton’s replacement made the lottery permanent, reverting the money to Embratur.
