After the complementary report by Sen. Irajá (PSD-TO) approving only 5 of the 39 amendments, discussions among opponents of legal gambling in Brazil have reignited. Parliamentarians brought misinformation about the activity back to the forefront, attempting various maneuvers to prevent the bill from being voted on.
Some senators requested views and postponements. Contrary to this, Eduardo Girão withdrew his request for postponement, believing that if the bill were put to a vote, it would be defeated in the Commission.
Amid the reactions, the president of the CCJ, Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP), decided not to entertain formal requests for postponement and views, instead deferring the matter's analysis to the following week.
The CCJ has a session scheduled for Wednesday (19), where it will discuss judicial appointments, followed by an extraordinary meeting to vote on a single item, Bill 2.234/2022. In making this decision, Alcolumbre requested the presence of all 54 committee senators (members and alternates) to finally resolve the matter.
Key provisions of the proposal
According to the proposal, already approved by the Chamber of Deputies under Bill442/91, in addition to the legalization of casinos in tourist hubs or integrated leisure complexes, bingos, and jogo do bicho (an illegal lottery game), gaming houses may also operate on maritime and river vessels, adhering to specific rules. A casino must prove a minimum paid-in capital of at least R$ 100 million (US$ 18.7m) and may be accredited for 30 years.
The proposal also establishes rules for bingo games in both card and electronic formats, allowing each state to accredit one legal entity per 700,000 inhabitants to exploit jogo do bicho. These authorizations will be valid for 25 years, renewable for an equal period. Horse racing may be operated by turf entities accredited by the Ministry of Agriculture, which may also concurrently operate bingo and video bingo games.
Moving forward
The upcoming CCJ session will be crucial in determining the future of legal gambling in Brazil. The comprehensive nature of Bill 2.234/2022 seeks to regulate various forms of gambling, ensuring a structured and economically beneficial industry while addressing concerns related to transparency and financial integrity.
Source: GMB
