Although some news sites reported that the bill would be voted on immediately after the first round of elections, the Press Office of the Presidency of the Senate told Comunhão that there is no information that the president of the House, Rodrigo Pacheco, made this statement.
According to Senator Magno Malta (PL-ES), the Evangelical Parliamentary Front (FPE) of the Upper House is organizing internally and with other parliamentarians to block the bill. For Malta, this proposal could have disastrous consequences for Brazilian society.
“I am firmly against the legalization of gambling in Brazil, as this would lead to negative social and economic consequences, such as increased crime, exploitation of the most vulnerable and the risk of addiction, among others,” declared the parliamentarian.
Magno Malta stressed that he has been running an intense campaign on social media to raise awareness about the dangers involved in legalizing casinos and jogo do bicho. “We need everyone’s participation in this fight. After all, our country cannot become a ‘paradise for crime’,” warned the senator.
According to a report by Agência Senado, during the debate session, the president of the House, Rodrigo Pacheco, acknowledged the complexity of the proposal, which encompasses economic and social aspects.
“We must carefully evaluate potential benefits, such as job creation and revenue for the Brazilian state, but also the risks and challenges, including preventing money laundering and combating organized crime, in addition to the social and public health problem related to gambling addiction,” the senator told the news agency.
On the day of the debate, Senator Damares Alves (Republicans-DF) also spoke out and warned about the risks of money laundering by criminal gangs and bookmakers, in addition to the fact that the country does not have a sufficient structure to control and oversee gambling.
“What brings me most to this debate is the issue of corruption and money laundering. We have technical notes from the PGR [Office of the Attorney General] and the PF [Federal Police], from 2017, which already pointed out this concern. I think they are still valid and we can ask these agencies again if they have changed their position, if Brazil has improved its control agencies. This concern is still very current,” the senator emphasized at the time.
Bill 2,234/22 is currently being processed in the Senate, awaiting action. According to information from the Senate Presidency's Office, amendments were presented to the bill when the proposal was submitted to the CCJ last June. The bill was then forwarded to the rapporteur, Senator Irajá (PSD-TO), who will issue a new report.
The proposal will be voted on again in the CCJ and only then will it be forwarded to a vote in the Plenary. The bill may also be forwarded to another committee, if a request for this purpose is approved.
Source: GMB
