Brazil gaming bill delayed

Brazil’s gaming law suffered another setback as the debate was cancelled and postponed.

Brazil.- Lawmakers from Brazil failed once again to reach an agreement on the latest draft that would legalise gaming in the country. The debate of the Special Committee was scheduled for October 19, but it was later cancelled and postponed. According to a Brazilian Senate spokesman, a date for a new meeting as not been set yet.

The debate had been rescheduled to last Wednesday after Senator Fernando Bezerra Coelho added modifications to the project. According to Bezerra, the only way to reform the text including all steps to create a better, secure and more agile legislation on the subject is by studying and approving these changes.

Main amendments as concessions, authorisation of gaming facilities, gaming offers, and distributions of awards and tax collection rules are still subject to review by the Special Committee. The debate has been pushed several times on the last couple of months, and since it was modified for the last time, the intention was to review it early August.

Brazil’s Legal Gaming Institute (IJL) estimated that based on the calculation that gambling markets typically account for about 1 percent of a country’s gross domestic product, Brazil’s market could be worth US$16.9 billion in total bets placed.