Brazil casino bill looks set for August vote
The bill would regulate land-based casinos, bingo, horseracing betting and instant win games.
Brazil.- It looks like resurrected Bill 2,234/2022, which aims to regulate land-based casinos in Brazil, won’t get a Senate vote until August. Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) has insisted that there is no rush to look at the proposed legislation before the parliamentary recess from July 18 to 31.
Land-based gambling regulation is being treated separately from sports betting, which is on its way to being regulated. As well as land-based casinos, Bill 2,234/2022 would regulate bingo, horse racing and jogo do bicho instant win games. The 2022 bill failed to advance last year but was resurrected by senator Irajá Abreu (PSD-TO), who has insisted that lawmakers cannot ignore reforms that could generate “about 1.5 million direct and indirect jobs in the country”.
Last month, the Senate Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ) approved the bill by 14 votes to 12. However, it has long been resisted by the evangelical bloc, which has opposed Pacheco’s attempt to present it directly to the Federal Congress. The evangelical caucus argues that the current draft still lacks sufficient safeguards to help prevent addiction. It wants a ban on gambling in municipalities with high crime rates.
The bill in its current form retains many of its original provisions. It would reverse President Gaspar Dutra’s 1946 Decree Law, which banned casinos from operating in municipalities and districts. It would allow land-based casinos in tourist locations or “integrated leisure complexes” with a limit of one per state and the Federal District. The larger states of Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Paraná and Amazonas would be allowed two casinos, and São Paulo three.
Meanwhile, bingo would be allowed in one designated establishment per municipality plus additional venues depending on population size. Licences valid for 25 years would be granted by municipalities and would require a minimum capital of R$10m. As for jogo do bicho, one operator would be allowed for every 700,000 inhabitants in each state and the Federal district.
Regarding horseracing, the bill would promote the modernisation of turf courses to be overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture.
As for sports betting, president Lula da Silva signed legislation in December, and progress is being made in establishing a regulatory framework with a view to launch the market this year.
