The project is authored by councilor Eduardo Nascimento (PSDB), who believes in amendments by others, so that the proposal can be improved. The congressman downplayed any controversies that could arise after the analysis from Marília's “evangelical bench”.
The text of eight articles is similar to the one approved in Colatina/ES, which gives the municipality the authorization for the Executive Branch to explore gaming, through the municipal secretariat.
Ticket sales, if the project is approved in the proposed format, may be virtual or physical. The forecast is that the funds collected will be allocated to municipal social security, social assistance, human rights, sports, culture and health.
In its article 7, the Bill provides that the municipality must regulate the law with complementary rules, including defining which folder would be responsible for the new service.
“There will be amendments [from the other councilors] and I still haven't had access to them. If the State and the Union can explore this, why not the municipalities? The games are there, in front of us, so they pay taxes,” says the congressman.
Controversy in sight
The legalization of gambling and expansion of authorizations for the activity in Brazil – putting an end to the Union's monopoly – is one of President Jair Bolsonaro's (non-party) flags.
But unlike others, this is a flag that the captain has raised almost alone, without the evangelical bench, responsible for the [weakened] support that still remains for his government.
An expressive segment of the population, evangelicals are radically against the exploitation of gambling, which they consider a violation of biblical precepts.
At the federal level, the agenda is blocked precisely by the broad religious caucus that occupies Congress in this legislature.
In Marília - even with five evangelical councilors in the plenary -, Nascimento said he did not believe in embarrassment by the representatives of this portion of the population.
“There is no controversy. We are just extending to the municipality what is already being explored by the States and the Union,” he guarantees.
The report by Marília Notícia questioned councilors on the subject. Most, with the exception of Nascimento, informed that they were still learning about the proposal.
Source: Marília Notícia
