According to Deputy Federal Herculano Passos "the meeting of leaders was held in the room of President Rodrigo Maia where it was treated that we would approve, not this week but next one, the Brasil Más Turismo project to reform the EMBRATUR, the opening of foreign capital and the general law of tourism.”
Regarding the resort casinos that could be included in PL 2724/2015 that deals with the new tourism law, a proposal that had been debated for some time and had already been rejected by the house plenary in March, Deputy Passos says it was not on the agenda of yesterday's meeting and that the subject of gaming will probably only be discussed again in 2019.
"The casinos have not been discussed, and any kind of games of chance will be added to the agenda. Neither bingo, nor jogo do bicho, nothing will be discussed and approved later this year. That's what we see happening in the Chamber," he said.
However, Herculano says that the new general tourism law will be voted on in the House of Representatives Plenary next week. "On Tuesday we will certainly discuss and vote Brazil Mais Turismo and the new tourism law. That's what's been dealt with."
Rumors about the inclusion of casinos in resorts under the new tourism law have been boosted by the recent visit of the magnate and president of the Las Vegas Sands group, Sheldon Adelson, who met with officials to expose the advantages of integrated resorts in Brazil and even set Rio, São Paulo, Recife and Salvador as possible cities to install the projects.
Besides Adelson, the proposal gained strength due to the pressure that the Minister of Tourism, Vinnicius Lummertz, during the last days in the local media. He wrote a column published in O Globo and, yesterday, during an event organized by media company Valor, he defended the issue with company data and imposed the arrival of casinos in Brazil to promote the sector and attract foreign tourists.
Without the casinos in integrated resorts under the new tourism law and the rejection of PL 186/2014 in the CCJ of the Senate, the only possibility of a legalization of the activity in process in the national congress is the PL 442/1991, which already had the report approved in the special gaming commission and counts on the pressure of the parliamentary front of gaming to be ruled by the mayor, Rodrigo Maia, and appreciated in the plenary of the House.
Source: Exclusive GMB
