Despite the objections to the text, even the evangelical and Catholic benches worked with the prospect that the project would have a majority of votes to be approved.
Carreras filed a first report late on Tuesday night (22), which led opposing parliamentarians to ask for at least 24 hours to be able to analyze the text.
Throughout Wednesday, the rapporteur visited the parties' benches to try to negotiate adjustments that would eliminate part of the resistance to the project. Until 9 pm, however, there was no new text available in the Chamber's system.
In a quick interview late in the afternoon, before meeting with the president of Caixa Econômica Federal, Pedro Guimarães, Carreras generically mentioned some of the changes that, according to him, would be made in his opinion.
He stated that he would include tourist casinos - hotels that could explore the activity - in his report, and indicated that he would increase the number of casino licenses in some states, such as Pará and Amazonas, due to their territorial extension.
Until then, the forecast was that the number would correspond to the population, but it will also include territorial extension in the case of the two states in the North region.
Another change, according to Carreras, would be the possibility of casinos on river vessels for a period of 30 days – so that they would not be configured as anchored casinos.
The deputy also spoke about the redistribution of the so-called Cide-Jogos, a contribution of 17% levied on the gross revenue resulting from the exploitation of the activity.
In the report published on Tuesday night, Carreras had pointed out that the funds would be destined for Embratur, sports, protection for players and gamblers, animal protection, public safety, culture and even for states and municipalities.
To accommodate demands from congressmen, the rapporteur stated that he would reduce the percentage allocated to federated entities - from 20% for state participation funds and 20% for those of municipalities - to cover resources for natural disasters and Fies (funding student). He also increased the percentage allocated to public safety.
The rapporteur also said that the Income Tax charged on prizes equal to or greater than R$ 10,000 would be equivalent to the incident in Caixa Econômica Federal lotteries.
Another request that Carreras said he had accepted was the creation of a regulatory agency subordinate to the Ministry of Economy and which would be responsible for authorizing and licensing the activities. The rapporteur denied that the changes were intended to try to win votes in favor of the project.
"The PT's position has not changed [which closed the issue against the text]. We are not negotiating a vote, we are negotiating consistency, improving the report. So much so that even with a good suggestion from him, we will accept it and won't get their vote," he said.
Carreras also defended that parliamentarians are aware of all the changes that will be made in the text. "Everyone is aware of everything that is being discussed. I will make it available to colleagues. What we are doing are plenary amendments that we will accept by the rapporteur. Everything is public. The plenary amendments are there published and public," he said.
The changes did not modify the willingness of religious benches to try to bar the text. The president of the Republicans, a party linked to the Universal Church, Marcos Pereira (SP), said he would advise against the project, but admitted that some parliamentarians from the party could vote in favor of the proposal.
"We respect their position. I think they have the vote to pass," he said. "And the government, from what I hear, is going to veto it," he added, before acknowledging that Congress could overturn the presidential decision.
Bolsonaro has said on numerous occasions that he intends to veto the project. "I intend to veto the issue of gaming in Brazil, I think we are not mature enough to advance on this issue there. There are only a lot of people who defend, if I veto and override the veto, we will respect,” he said at the end of December.
According to evangelical leaders, the president sent messages to deputies asking them to vote against the project, in an attempt to convince congressmen from grassroots parties.
This Wednesday, the minister of the Civil House, Ciro Nogueira, licensed president of the PP, was evasive when talking about the possibility of a veto. "Let's wait for the decision of the Parliament first," he said when leaving the event of affiliation of former deputy Rogério Rosso to the PP.
Source: Fabio Serapião e Danielle Brant - Folhapress
