Brazil Casino Bill Faces Final Vote Amidst Opposition
A bill to legalize land-based casinos in Brazil is poised for a vote, despite resistance from evangelical groups, according to Senator Irajá Abreu, the bill’s rapporteur.
While the legal online betting market in Brazil launched on January 1st, the casino bill, known as PL 2,234/2022, remains in legislative limbo despite approval by the Justice and Citizenship Committee last June.
Senator Abreu remains optimistic that the bill has sufficient support for approval, even with opposition from various political parties. The senate vote has been postponed several times.
“Based on the senate debates and public hearings, the matter is ready for discussion and a vote in the plenary, as soon as our senate president, Davi Alcolumbre, and party leaders determine the environment is suitable for voting,” Abreu stated in an interview.
Abreu projects that legalizing land-based casinos would generate an additional BRL22 billion (approximately £2.8 billion/$3.8 billion) in tax revenue for the state and double tourism numbers from six million to 12 million annually.
“It is an important project for the country,” Abreu added. “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 gambling tourism.”
Opposition to Land-Based Casinos
To secure passage of the bill, Abreu is willing to modify the text to gain support from opponents of land-based gambling, including the Evangelical Parliamentary Front.
“I am open to dialogue, including with the evangelical bench, which has taken a very firm position against the approval of this matter. I believe in common sense,” Abreu explained.
Deputy Gilberto Nascimento, president of the Evangelical Parliamentary Front, has stated his party will oppose casino legalization.
“I will ask everyone to be against it,” Nascimento revealed. “We will mobilize.
“Everyone is addicted to gambling, just look at what is happening with online betting. Casinos and physical games tend to get worse. Brazil is not a country with a vocation for gambling.”
Senator Jacques Wagner of Brazil’s Workers’ Party suggested that the timing is not right to legalize land-based gambling.
“It is the worst time to debate this, due to the repercussions of the bets. There is no climate to vote this semester,” Wagner added.
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