As expected, the panel on positive aspects of the regulation filled the auditorium of Espaço JK and the external area, where big screens reproduced the stage. Lawyer Luiz Felipe Maia moderated the debate that brought together deputies Bacelar (president) and Newton Cardoso Jr. (member) of the Workng Group of the Regulatory Framework for Gaming in Brazil, Waldir Eustáquio Marques Jr. (Secap/ME's Undersecretary of Prizes and Raffles) and Magno Joseph (IJL - Instituto Brasileiro Jogo Legal).
Introducing the table, Maia said that moderating the panel was the greatest honor he has ever had in his life, thanking the participants for their presence. “We have the right people to address this issue,” he said.
Deputy Bacelar (Pode-BA), began his lecture by saying: “I want to pay tribute to the operators present here, leaving my respect and reinforcing my satisfaction for being together.” Then, he recalled that gaming is instinctive to man, stating that society must decide whether it wants to play legal or illegal.
“For 30 years a project has been in the Chamber of Deputies and in 2015 a commission was created to discuss Bill 442/91. We reached a regulatory milestone, but the bench ended up divided on the topic and the president of the House, at the time Rodrigo Maia, put a stone on top of it and he has been out of action for five years,” narrated Bacelar.
The current president of the Chamber, Deputy Arthur Lira, created the working group to discuss and revise Bill 442/91 “and we are currently well advanced, as we have already met with all government agencies that handle inspection, regularization and other federal entities. I guarantee that next Tuesday, December 7th, we will approve the revision in the WG and it covers all gaming verticals, such as casinos (urban and integrated resorts), bingos, machines, fantasy games, sports betting, horse racing and jogo do bicho,” he added.
“We need the interference of each of you gentlemen and ladies to demand from the Chamber of Deputies the approval of the project that creates all types of gaming in Brazil, which is not ours, but of a large part of society. The fight is yours from now on!”, he said.
Newton Cardoso Jr. commented that the work was arduous during the period in which the WG members discussed the topic and now, “on the eve of delivering our report to President Arthur Lira, I'm sure we're at the best time to approve the gaming regulatory framework. Overcoming the fine-tuning of the text, we will have a frank conversation with the evangelical bench so that they understand what we are proposing.”
According to him, 60% of deputies are in favor of approving the regulatory framework, “which gives us the certainty that we are proposing the creation of a gaming framework that will bring resources to the country, transforming it and bringing a new reality to Brazil."
Waldir Marques Jr. praised, on behalf of all of Secap, the deputies who are at the forefront of the discussion of a regulatory framework for gaming and also to all those present at BiS. “All of you are committed to a project that will bring benefits to Brazil. This is in line with international best practices and this will bring clear rules to protect the player and, of course, the operator, as he also needs legal certainty to make his investments. And the regulatory body also depends on meeting good practices,” he commented.
Marques Jr. also highlighted the importance of a broad project covering responsible gaming and combating illegal practices. “All of this is fundamental for the activity to be successful in Brazil and to contribute to society, curbing the harmful effects of illegal and clandestine gaming,” he described.
Magno José (IJL) commented that sports betting needs to be regulated as soon as possible “but we need your support for the approval of a regulatory framework for all gaming verticales in Brazil. As soon as we have the approval, we will depend on the Executive for the approval of a regulatory agency,” he commented.
Maia commented that he has always fought the arguments of those who are against the sector, saying that they do not support themselves with ludopathy, money laundering and tax evasion. "All modern practices offer security so that this type of action does not happen and gambling addiction is very low." He then asked the panelists for their opinion on this.
Bacelar said that laundering money is very expensive in the gaming industry. “It is much easier to commit the crime of money laundering in car washes and motels. At the same time, ludopathy does not hold up, as it has fallen across the world. What we see is something around 0.7% of the population, while alcohol addiction reaches 10%,” he compared.
Newton Cardoso highlighted that in a meeting with Coaf (Financial Activities Control Board), he heard as an official position from the financial control body that if the gaming sector adopts compliance identical to the main well-regulated markets and that serve bodies similar to Coaf itself, it will not put any opposition to the approval of the sector in Brazil.
He also highlighted that the Federal Revenue Service has the best control tools in the world and that this guarantees that money laundering will not happen in Brazil through the technology available to the country's financial and tax authorities.
Waldir Jr. commented that the money laundering discourse is not supported by the compliance requirements to which all operators worldwide are submitted and that this should also be applied in Brazil. "In addition, the companies have already positioned themselves from the point of view of corporate social responsibility, which makes it certain that responsible gaming will be another landmark for a proper operation in the country," he concluded.
“Does a democratic state have the right to tell me what I'm going to do in my leisure time?” asked Bacelar when closing his participation at the panel.
Source: GMB
