The proposal faces opposition from the evangelical bench and the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB). Even so, at the end of 2021, an urgency request was approved for the matter to be processed. The expectation among parliamentarians is that the text passes through the plenary and advances to the Senate.
The president of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (Progressistas-AL), promised to guide the project soon. Rapporteur of the proposal, Deputy Felipe Carreras (PSB-PE) calculates that the regulation of gambling would generate R$ 20 billion in revenue per year. In defending the text, he cites as his main argument the incentive to Tourism and the generation of jobs.
“The pandemic has increased unemployment in the country. Gambling will formalize jobs that already exist and the robust investments that will come with resorts integrated with casinos will generate thousands of jobs,” said Carreras.
With an eye on the evangelical electorate, President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) signaled that he may veto the bill, if the text is approved in Congress. In an interview with Viva FM radio, from Espírito Santo, on January 17, the chief executive said that gambling is not welcome in Brazil. On the other hand, Bolsonaro recalled that parliamentarians can override their veto and preserve the original proposal.
On December 16, the urgency request for processing the proposal was approved with 293 votes in favor, 138 against and 11 abstentions. At the time, there was an agreement behind the scenes so that the evangelical bench would not obstruct the vote in the plenary, as had happened before. In exchange, Lira also proposed a Proposed Amendment to the Constitution (PEC) that exempts properties rented by churches from paying the Urban Property and Territorial Property Tax (IPTU).
Now, evangelicals promise to “work hard” to stop the project. “I am convinced that, with better coordination, we will reverse the result,” says Deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante (DEM-RJ). The parliamentarian argues that the legalization of gaming would create a public health problem, due to addiction, and states that there would be no control mechanisms to prevent money laundering.
A member of the evangelical bench, deputy Otoni de Paula (PSC-RJ) also criticizes the proposal. In his view, possible benefits of legalizing gambling would be outweighed by the side effects. “That would break up families, lead to man's worst vices, generate indebtedness,” he said.
In addition to the evangelicals, the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), of Catholic faith, was also opposed to the approval of the project. “Particularly in this election year, the CNBB is committed to closely monitoring this process and widely publicizing the name of parliamentarians who choose to leave their fingerprints in this criminal affront to the Brazilian people,” says an excerpt from a note released this Tuesday (1).
Rapporteur Felipe Carreras said that the opposite position “is part of democracy”, but that the issue will be decided by the plenary. “We totally respect the position of the bench, but the Chamber is the expression of the population. The majority will decide,” he said. “My feeling is that parliamentarians are seeing this opportunity for job creation and are not going to turn their backs on the population.”
The Public Security Parliamentary Front, also known as the bullet bench, is against the legalization of bingos, but admits the regulation of the jogo do bicho. About the casinos, there is a division. “People are in favor of legalizing jogo do bicho, not least because it would be an official game, which would raise funds for the State and take it out of the hands of criminal factions, of the bicheiros who are earning alone with it,” says Deputy Captain Augusto (PL). -SP), leader of the bench.
According to the parliamentarian, one of the demands, in case of approval of the project, is that taxes related to gambling are destined for public safety.
Source: Estadão
