Now, with the elections over and with the definition of the 27 seats in dispute for the Senate, senators who support the matter expect the proposal to return to the agenda.
In addition, parliamentarians are betting that the economic impact of the regulation could put the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) in the loop.
The idea was not well seen in the former management of the Executive. In a nod to evangelicals, then-president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) indicated that he would veto the project in its entirety, if the Senate concluded the vote with the approval of the proposal.
“The House and Senate, everyone knows, have autonomy. Some want me to disapprove or approve certain things there. I have my limit. I did what I could with some parliamentarians who were closer to us to see if I could defeat the project there. Unfortunately, it was approved,” he said at the time. “Once approved, we will exercise our right of veto. […] I find it difficult for them to override the veto,” he added.
Approval by the House meant a defeat for the evangelical group, which articulated against the wording and tried to obstruct the vote on the text, until then in progress in the House for more than 30 years.
US$ 11.7 billion in revenue
In an interview with Metrópoles, Senator Angelo Coronel (PSD-BA), one of the main sponsors of the project in the Senate, assesses that the new government is willing to discuss the matter. “I believe there is this good will. Especially because we are, in fact, looking for new sources of revenue for the Union,” he emphasizes.
According to the man from Bahia, whose party will form part of Lula's base in the National Congress, it is estimated that revenue will be around R$ 60 billion (US$ 11.7b) just from the taxation of games of chance. “The activity exists and it is anywhere, it is a reality. We want to regularize this market,” he says.
“This activity is being carried out freely, without generating a penny of taxes for the country. And in my view, we are not dealing with a customs agenda, but an economic agenda,” he continues.
Pacheco's disposition
Coronel reports having addressed the issue with the President of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), who gave a positive signal to the bill.
“The project will be distributed to the rapporteur and will be put to the vote at the beginning of the legislature. I spoke with Senator Rodrigo last week and the idea is that we put it up for discussion right after Carnival. We know there is some resistance,” he explained.
“I don't know if it will be unanimous in the Senate, but nobody is inventing gaming, we are legalizing what exists. This is an important agenda to increase the Union's revenue,” he concludes.
Despite having gained life in recent days, the regulation of gambling is far from being a pacified issue in the Senate. Last year, even in an attack against the proposal, the Legislative House approved the creation of the Parliamentary Front Against Gambling, sponsored by the bench of political party Podemos.
Source: Metropolis
