GMB - How do you see the approval of Bill 442/91 in the Chamber of Deputies?
Senator Angelo Coronel – The Chamber acted correctly. Opposing legalization means supporting illegality. The deputies understood very well that gaming exists, and that the formality will bring benefits to the whole of society and to Brazil's finances.
The bill is now in the Senate. What is your assessment of the receptivity that the bill will have in the House?
There are some resistance blocks. It will be necessary to show that legalization will be beneficial for the Brazilian economy. That's what I've been doing, showing not only the high capacity to generate jobs, but also the possibilities of tax revenue for the public coffers.
What are the next steps for the analysis and voting of the project in the Senate? How soon will it be able to go to Plenary?
The Bill may have speeded up its deliberation if President Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) chooses a Plenary rapporteur. It can also be referred to the thematic committees, and in that case it tends to take a long time to be appreciated.
As rapporteur of a bill on the legalization of gamling in the Senate, will you propose amendments to the text of the Chamber considering points raised in your report?
When I report a topic, I always try to listen to those involved in order to improve the text. This has been done and the discussions are always aimed at bringing more information and consistency to the project so that its assessment is as transparent as possible. Let's wait for the pace at which the bill moves in the Senate.
I will defend the approval of a project that contemplates all types of gaming verticals. The major world powers that make up the G20, with the exception of Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, have legalized gambing, as do the Mercosur countries, with the exception of Brazil. We have to treat gaming as a strong economic activity capable of reducing unemployment and increasing tax revenue.
In previous conversations with GMB, you were quite optimistic about the maturity of the Senate on the topic of gambing. Do you still have the same feeling?
I remain optimistic. We need to look for alternative sources of revenue and legalization would be one of them. Furthermore, we cannot forget the creation of formal jobs and the increase in tourism.
In case of approval and submission for presidential sanction, do you believe that President Jair Bolsonaro will really veto the Bill? And in that case, will it be overturned by Congress?
I have doubts about the veto, because Brazil needs new resources to pay for social programs and the taxes collected from gaming will contribute a lot.
Source: Exclusive GMB
