Brazil sports betting vote delayed

Senators remain divided on the inclusion of online casino gaming.

Brazil.- The final vote on Brazil’s sports betting legislation was delayed yesterday due to disagreement on the late inclusion of online casino gaming. The Senate was due to vote on Bill 3,626/23, but senators opposing the inclusion of online casinos asked for a delay.

Former rapporteur Adolfo Viana of the PSDB had proposed the addition of igaming to the bill in September. The Chamber of Deputies approved the text. However, several senators including Eduardo Girão and Carlos Portinho argue that there is no adequate framework for the regulation of online casino and that more consideration of the bill is needed since over 100 changes have been made since its submission to the Senate in September.

Other changes endorsed by the Senate Economic Affairs Commission (CAE) include a 12 per cent tax rate on sports betting operators and a 15 per cent tax on player prizes. These rates are lower than the 18 per cent and 30 per cent rates put forward by the Ministry of Finance. The CAE deemed that the lower tax rates were necessary to attract consumers and businesses to the new regulated federal sports betting market.

No new date has been set for a Senage vote. Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco was not present as he was at the COP-28 Climate Summit in Dubai.