Rio Mayor defends casino legalisation
The Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Marcello Crivella, is in favour of the legalisation of casinos in the city.
Brazil.- The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Marcello Crivella, has once again defended the legalisation of casinos in Brazil. The official said this week that Rio de Janeiro advocates for the installation of casinos and that they wish to encourage the tourism industry.
The politician told Radio BandNews that international businessmen from Las Vegas and Singapore want to invest in the country. Thus, the government would receive more revenue, in addition to boosting the tourism industry. He also said that he is interested in Rio obtaining a licence to establish a casino in Porto Maravilha.
Last month, the Mayor inaugurated the Tourism Council and during the ceremony he defended the regulation of casinos to boost the tourism industry. Secretary Paulo Jobim also defended the approval of the Regulatory Framework for Gaming. The project would allow two casinos in Rio de Janeiro.
Moreover, Crivella said that out of all of the public policies presented for the sector, the most important was the casino one. He also cited the Singapore casino framework and the president of Las Vegas Sands Group, Sheldon Adelson.
“The tourism industry needs to have a casino in Rio de Janeiro, and this is one of the Council’s goals. That we’re able to make good investments and create jobs,” said Crivella.
Lawmakers debated gambling regulations
Last week, Deputy Bacelar, coordinator of the Joint Parliamentary Front for the Approval of the Regulatory Framework for Games in Brazil, said that all forms of gambling should be legal. But mainly casinos, he said, which would create large revenues by boosting tourism.
In this regard, Bacelar stressed that Brazil only receives 6.5 million foreign tourists a year. “Portugal, which is a country the size of São Paulo, receives 20 million tourists annually. It’s absurd,” he added. Also, Herculano Passos argued that Brazil makes better use of its natural resources in environmental tourism.
