No Need to Rush on the Casino Bill Vote Until August, Brazil’s Senate Says

Brazil, the country that took center stage in gambling regulation in February after completing the regulation process and finding the right mix between player protection and commercial interests, is on the verge of seeing land-based casinos get finally regulated. 

The legislation that also covers horse racing, instant win jogo do bicho games, and bingo is expected to be voted on in August, once the Parliament comes back from its recess. 

The Senate does not seem to be in a great hurry to vote on the casino bill. 

“There Is No Need to Rush” 

According to the Senate’s president, Rodrigo Pacheco, (PSD-MG), there is no need for the vote to be rushed on Bill 2,234/2022.

Pacheco believes it is best to address and assess the matter calmly and sensitively once the Parliament is ready to end its break on July 31. The recess starts on July 18.  

The president commented “There is no need to rush,” adding they can vote on the bill “perfectly well after the recess.”

He emphasized that the vote will be initiated as the bill has passed through the Senate’s Chamber, the Constitution, the Justice, and the Citizenship Commission. Accordingly, “if there is a predisposition of the Executive, we have to submit it to a vote,” he added. 

Decade-Old Drafting and Delays

Bill 2,234/2022 wishes to reorganize brick-and-mortar gambling legislation in the country by altering current rights and modalities granted to individual states and municipalities. 

The bill took more than 10 years to be drafted in its existing form. Its mediation was completed with a two-year delay, after which it finally received approval from a Senate Committee last month. 

This enabled the bill endorsed by Senator Irajá Abreu (PSD-TO) to go forward for its revision by the country’s federal plenary.

Abreu wants to reverse the 1946 Decree Law of President Gaspar Dutra that banned casinos from operating in State municipalities and districts.

Missing Guarantees to Minimize Gambling Risks, Says the Caucus

As an essential stakeholder in the upcoming proceedings, Pacheco had plans to take the bill straight to the Federal Congress to hit the gas pedal on the vote. 

However, his intention was met with opposition from the Evangelical Caucus. 

The latter believes the current draft does not feature all the necessary guarantees that would keep gambling risks to a minimum.

This includes guarantees on gambling addiction. The draft is also allegedly missing the implementation of a ban on gambling from municipalities known for their historically high crime rates. 

A series of amendments are expected to be discussed since the initial project was drafted in the nineties by former deputy Renato Vianna.