Centrão is in a political dispute to try to overturn President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva‘s veto and ensure the protection of resources from sports betting in the Ministry of Sports, under the command of André Fufuca.
Allies of Arthur Lira take a stand against the government
According to the Estadão column, the 2024 Budget Guidelines Law (LDO) brought a crucial rule that prevents Lula from contingency any amount coming from lotteries.
Therefore, sports betting revenue collected by the ministry cannot be used by other ministries.
This regulation, approved in December and converted into law, promises to generate significant revenue for the government throughout this year.
But the device that guarantees financial protection to the ministry was not originally present in the LDO when the project was forwarded by the Lula government.
So, the inclusion occurred during the process in Congress, being proposed by deputy Marx Beltrão, an ally of Arthur Lira.
According to Beltrão, the measure “aims to strengthen sports policy across the country, with a significant impact on society’s health and leisure.”
Betting rules could jeopardize fiscal 2024 target
Centrão estimates that the Ministry of Sports will be able to raise R$900 million from games, including sports betting, in 2024 alone.
The proposal allocates part of this amount to sectors such as education and public security, exclusively protecting the Ministry of Sports from budget cuts.
Thus, Palácio do Planalto was in favor of the veto, claiming that the reservations approved by Congress make the budget “even more rigid”. This could compromise the fiscal target of zero deficit in 2024.
The Ministry of Sports stated that it will apply resources to projects such as Bolsa Atleta and Segundo Tempo, following government decisions, without questioning the votes in Congress.
Meanwhile, Arthur Lira, through his advisor, admitted that he did not have a defined position on the proposal in question.
