“It is ready, ripe to be discussed and voted on in the plenary, as soon as our president Davi understands that the environment is suitable for voting,” he stated in an interview given on Wednesday last week (9) to Poder360.
Irajá said he is willing to talk to the evangelical bloc, one of the biggest opponents of legalizing gambling and willing to mobilize if the text is on the agenda. In order to have this support, he said he was willing to make changes to the text.
“I am open to dialogue, including with the evangelical bloc, which has taken a very firm position, opposing the approval of this matter. I believe in common sense,” he said.
He estimates that the change will bring R$22 billion (US$ 3.8bn) in taxes to the public coffers and increase the number of tourists from 6 million to 12 million per year.
Main excerpts from the interview:
Poder360 - The gambling bill is controversial. Have you spoken to the president of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre, about when it will be voted on?
Senator Irajá - I have been in constant conversation with President Davi Alcolumbre, who is the president of Congress, but who, until December, was the president of the Constitution and Justice Committee, where we voted on the bill to regulate responsible gambling. We won that vote with 14 votes in favor and 12 against.
Based on the debates we had in the Senate, with public hearings, the matter is ready and ready to be discussed and voted on in the plenary, as soon as our president Davi, with his sensitivity, and together with the party leaders, understands that the environment is suitable for voting.
Your last report is from December 2024. Do you intend to make changes or is it ready?
We have made a lot of progress, we discussed it in the Committee on Constitution and Justice. Several amendments were accepted and contributed to improving the text.
The text approved in the Chamber only provided for the possibility of building resorts integrated into new projects. This would exclude projects already built in Brazil from participating in future bids. Large hotels that we already have would not be able to participate. We made a correction to the wording.
This does not mean that the text is rigid. There is a possibility that amendments will be presented, and this text can be improved. I am open to dialogue, including with the evangelical caucus, which has taken a very firm position, opposing the approval of this matter. I believe in common sense.
It is an important project for the country. We are going to revolutionize Brazilian tourism. We cannot stand by and watch neighboring countries like Argentina, Uruguay and Chile receive so many millions of international tourists, while Brazil cannot, because it does not offer this type of responsible gaming tourism.
It will generate jobs, income, and 22 billion (US$ 3.8bn) in new taxes, which will be invested in essential areas, such as health and education. Not to mention that the entire tourism chain, construction, service providers, inns, and restaurants will benefit greatly.
Many senators who are against the project use the example of 'Bets', with reports of addiction and financial losses. Is this the best time to approve your project?
Without a doubt. Of the 38 OECD [Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development] countries, only Iceland has not yet approved responsible gaming. If we take into account the G20, which are the 20 largest economies in the world, only Brazil and Indonesia have not legalized it. If you look at South America, out of 13 countries, only Brazil and Bolivia did not have the courage to confront this issue.
The whole world cannot be wrong and only we are right, watching all these countries develop from an economic and social point of view.
I am particularly convinced that we have enough people to approve this bill. Brazil, which ranks 50th in international tourism, cannot sit back and allow itself the luxury of not taking advantage of this great opportunity to generate jobs, income and taxes.
The president of the evangelical front in Congress, Congressman Gilberto Nascimento (PSD-SP), said he will mobilize against the bill. How will he try to reverse the rejection?
With arguments. There is no way to contest counterarguments. If we take all the examples I mentioned, cases of democratic and civilized countries like ours, all of them have improved their social and economic indicators. Without exception, all of them have doubled the number of tourists.
Ten years ago, we received an average of 6 million tourists per year. This number has not been surpassed. The expectation in 5 years is to jump to 12 million.
We are talking about an investment of around R$100 billion (US$ 17bn) that will be invested in projects, including integrated resorts – these tourist complexes –, bingo, jogo do bicho, all types of games.
Without prejudice, this project deals with the legalization of responsible gambling. There is gambling, dominated by organized crime in Brazil.
Responsible gambling is gambling that is outside the law, not in the shadows of the law, which is monitored by the government. You purge who participates in this environment, inviting serious and reputable companies to operate in this market, monitored by the IRS, the Federal Police, and the control agencies.
There are people who want to keep gambling in the shadows of the law, dominated by organized crime. And there are people, like me and the vast majority of fellow senators, who want to see responsible gambling, monitored by the government and paying taxes, which are used to benefit the population.
Source: Poder360
