Brazilian Survey Shows Support for Legalizing Land-Based Gambling
A new survey by DataSenado reveals that 60% of the adult Brazilian population supports the legalization of gambling in physical establishments.
The DataSenado Research Institute, associated with the Federal Senate’s Transparency Secretariat, released the results of a national survey on Tuesday, April 22nd. The survey aimed to determine the level of public support for gambling in land-based venues within the country.
Bill PL 2,234/2022, which proposes the legalization of casinos, bingo halls, the “jogo do bicho” (animal game), and horse race betting, was approved by the Justice and Citizenship Committee in June of last year.
After facing setbacks and postponements, there is growing confidence that the bill will soon be voted on by the Senate. Senator Irajá Abreu, the bill’s rapporteur, stated earlier this month that he believes the project has the necessary support for final Senate approval.
This new survey, which interviewed 5,039 Brazilian men and women aged 16 or older via computer-assisted telephone interviews between February 21st and March 1st, supports Irajá’s conviction that the legalization of land-based gambling has the backing of the Brazilian population.
Of those interviewed, 60% said they were in favor of regulating and monitoring gambling in physical locations. However, 34% stated they were against the proposals, while another 6% said they did not know or preferred not to answer.
Economic Benefits of Legalizing Land-Based Gambling in Brazil
Much of the justification for political support for land-based gambling relates to the economic benefits the sector could bring to the country.
Estimates suggest that legalization could generate annual revenue of R$ 20 billion.
When asked if the legalization of gambling in physical establishments would increase tax collection, 58% of DataSenado respondents agreed, while 22% said it would make no difference.
Furthermore, 44% believe that the legalization of gambling in physical locations would increase the number of jobs in Brazil, with international giants like Hard Rock International already planning to enter the market.
“We are very interested in launching an integrated resort with a greater impact on the economy, due to the magnitude of the investment,” said Alex Pariente, Senior Vice President of Casino and Hotel Operations at Hard Rock International.
“The construction of an integrated resort with the potential to act as a tourist destination, not only from the region but internationally, could greatly help to achieve the government’s objective, which is to increase tourism. Likewise, with the creation of jobs related to the considerable investment of an integrated resort, we are talking about billions of dollars.”
The DataSenado survey shows that more than a quarter (26%) of the population would participate in gambling in physical locations if it were legalized.
Despite the lack of legalization, there is a general understanding that gambling in physical locations is relatively widespread in Brazil, and only 25% of respondents believe that the current prohibition is very effective in reducing the activity.
Formalizing the Activity
As with the licensed online alternative, which launched on January 1st of this year, the legalization of land-based gambling is likely to formalize the activity and help reduce harmful consequences, such as addiction and gambling-related crimes, largely driven by illegal activity.
Of those interviewed, 65% said that creating rules to prevent gambling-related crimes, such as money laundering, was very important, with 17% describing it as only important.
It is worth noting that the Federal Police opposes the regulation of gambling in physical locations, with CNN Brasil highlighting the force’s concerns about a possible increase in money laundering.
When asked if the legal provision that casino gambling machines be supervised to ensure their veracity and that the rules are clearly stated is a positive aspect of the proposals, 62% of respondents said yes.
Additionally, 54% believe that creating a confidential national registry of people addicted to gambling to restrict their activities would be a positive move, while 52% agreed that rules preventing people from becoming indebted through gambling are very important.
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