Brazil: president of lower chamber pushes evangelicals on gambling regulation

Facing a vote on the Gaming Regulatory Framework, Arthur Lira has approached the house’s evangelical wing in search of consensus, but the bloc has reaffirmed its opposition.

Brazil.- With Brazil’s Gaming Regulatory Framework in its final stretch before a vote, the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), has been sounding out evangelical opponents on their willingness to reach an agreement. However, the feedback wasn’t positive.

Lira conducted the poll during a dinner with members of the Evangelical Parliamentary Front last week in a bid to “unite extremes” and work together on sensitive issues, such as gambling. However, according to local media reports, the president of the chamber was told categorically that the front would not support the proposal, regardless of its content.

The so-called “Bible Bloc” made clear that its position against the legalisation of gambling in Brazil was intransigent. Deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante (DEM-RJ), who will be the next president of the front in 2022, warned Lira that the bloc would have enough votes to revoke the proposal if it’s put to a vote in plenary.

With the “warning”, the evangelical parliamentarians believe Lira will not take it to a fight in the middle of an electoral year for a proposal that will have difficulties in the plenary session.

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In September, Lira created a working group to try to reach a consensus on a draft Normative Framework for gaming. It’s an issue that has been unable to advance in Congress for more than 30 years. The Working Group presented the first preliminary edition of the draft at the end of November. After the release of the final report, it is expected that voting on the text will proceed.

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