The Belo Horizonte City Council approved, in the first round, the creation of a municipal lottery, called BHLot, last Tuesday, 2nd. public safety, health and human rights.
The municipal lottery proposal received 35 votes in favor and 4 against. According to the Itatiaia website, councilors Bráulio Lara (Novo), Marcela Trópia (Novo), Fernanda Pereira Altoé (Novo) and Flávia Borja (PP) opposed the project.
The text now needs to be approved in the second round and sanctioned by Mayor Fuad Noman (PSD) for the Belo Horizonte lottery to be formally launched.
“It was a matter of partisan stance. Novo is against expanding the role of public power beyond what we think is essential, which would be health, education and security,” said Altoé.
Author of the BHLot project, Juliano Lopes (Agir) used the example of Cuiabá, capital of Mato Grosso, where a lottery along the same lines raises R$ 1.7 million per year.
About BHLot
According to the councilor, BHLot would have the same line of operation as Loteria Mineira, managed by the state government, where people buy cards and the numbers are drawn.
“There are also lotteries like this in Campinas and Fortaleza. It is a project that the city hall of Belo Horizonte manages to collect through its own lottery. These resources go directly to the social fund and are invested in sport and social action”, explained the councilor.
“I don’t have a forecast because I don’t know what the population’s adherence will be. It will depend on the city hall’s marketing. But I believe that if Cuiabá collected this, Belo Horizonte [may collect] around R$ 5 million. It is a perspective”, added Lopes.
Still according to councilor Juliano Lopes, the responsibility for the organization and administration of BHLot would remain with the Secretariat of Administration.
