The Bill 2.234/22, which legalizes gambling in Brazil, was approved in a vote by the Committee on Constitution and Justice (CCJ) and may be considered by the Senate Plenary in the concentrated effort during the first week of September.
Senator Irajá, the rapporteur of the matter in the House, is confident about the vote in Plenary. "We need to address this issue, vote on it, and I am convinced that we have sufficient support. President Lula has already stated that if approved by the Senate, he will sanction the law. Vice President Geraldo Alckmin also made a favorable statement regarding the approval of the project," he recalled.
"The matter is ripe for consideration and voting. We will have the opportunity to broaden the debate in the Plenary, and I am confident that we have the necessary votes to pass this bill, which is very important for Brazil. This is not a battle between the opposition and the government or between the right and the left; it is an economic and social agenda," he added.
In addition to mentioning Brazil's leaders, Irajá noted on the program that Finance Minister Fernando Haddad has already expressed his support, and ministries in the Esplanade have issued technical notes in favor of the matter. Among them, he cited the Ministries of Tourism, Social Development, Labor, and Tourism.
As he always points out in his statements regarding the legalization of gambling in Brazil, Irajá recalled: "Of the 34 OECD countries, only Iceland has not legalized betting and gambling. And among the G20, the world's twenty largest economies, only Brazil and Indonesia have not done so."
"The entire world can't be wrong, and only Brazil right. We need to confront this issue and put an end to the clandestine and illegal gambling that dominates the country," he stated.
The senator emphasized: "By creating a regulated environment with oversight and control, we invite serious people to participate in the business, which is essential. The countries that legalized it have confronted clandestine and illegal gambling, substantially reducing the control of organized crime. Today, 100% of gambling is in the shadows of the law and right before our eyes."
"With the legalization of gambling, we will create almost 1.5 million jobs. And investment estimates reach R$100 billion in five years. We cannot miss out on this serious business opportunity."
“The countries that legalized betting and gambling doubled the number of international visitors in five years on average,” Senator Irajá stated. "Brazil cannot sit back and watch as other countries advance and evolve while we miss out on this great opportunity," he concluded.
Source: GMB
