Episode #31 of the Brazilian Lounge Podcast featured Magnho José, a leading journalist specializing in lotteries and betting and president of the Brazilian Institute of Legal Gambling (IJL). With a solid track record, Magnho shares his experience and insights into the Brazilian betting market.
During the conversation, Magnho shares his extensive history in the industry, revealing key moments and behind-the-scenes insights into the market. He also analyzes the current regulatory landscape and discusses future prospects, providing valuable insights for operators, investors, and iGaming professionals.
Therefore, the episode offers a comprehensive overview of the development of the betting market in Brazil, the challenges faced, and the opportunities that lie ahead.
Bingo and casinos in Brazil: “There is no such thing as non-gaming, it is either legal or illegal”
Regarding the bill legalizing land-based bingo and casinos in Brazil, Magnho emphasizes that this practice is a global phenomenon. In Brazil, regulation is essential.
“There’s still a lot of money flowing into the illegal market. Many people think Brazil will have a lot of bingo halls and casinos, but that’s not the case. We’ll have a maximum of 50 casinos here, and we shouldn’t reach that number. There will be 27 tourist casinos, which, by law, is allowed to have one per state.”
“It’s worth remembering that the tourist casino is a tool that encourages tourism around the world, and this process should already be regulated in Brazil,” he says.
Living closely with the VLT situation in Rio de Janeiro
Regarding the issue of the exploitation of Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) equipment in Rio de Janeiro, and how the issue is developing between the state and the municipality, Magnho believes that the modality is a reality and should reach a resolution.
“The VLT is a legal and regulated device in several places around the world. In Canada, the use of this modality served to combat the illegal slot machine market, and there, it occupied that space. My opinion is that this lottery modality is a reality and safe.”
“I believe this issue will be resolved in Rio de Janeiro. It’s important to always remember that the lottery is a service provision. Therefore, if there’s a 5% ISS tax, every municipality that has the equipment installed will receive a percentage of that service. This is a new way of raising revenue from a regulated activity,” he said.
About the Brazilian Lounge Podcast
The podcast is hosted by Ricardo Magri (Director of Brazilian Lounge), Alessandro Valente (co-founder of Brazilian Lounge) and Witoldo Hendrich Junior (co-founder of Hendrich Advogados/Online IPS).
The program covers the most important issues in the industry with Flávio Figueiredo (CEO of the iGaming Group) in the Top 7 News section.
