Legislation
Brazil – Tourism Minister highlights lack of knowledge over Brazil’s gaming efforts
By Phil - 22 May 2018
Brazil’s Tourism Ministry has said that there is a lack of knowledge amongst church leaders when it comes to efforts to regulate the market.
Speaking at the UNI Americas fifth International Gaming Conference held last Thursday in Sao Paulo, Bob Santos said that there was a “Lack of knowledge within the religious caucus about legalising gambling in Brazil.” Representatives from eleven countries met last week in San Pablo to discuss gaming and the obstacles to legalisation. The Congress was promoted by the National Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality Workers (CONTRATUH), in partnership with UNI Americas: a union federation for skills and services.
“The National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) and the Evangelical caucus are very concerned about gambling, but many countries in Europe, North America and Asia have special policies, which reinvest part of their (tax) collection in the treatment for that ailment (gambling addiction), ” he said. Santos is the former executive secretary of the National Parliamentary Front for the Defence of Tourism of the National Congress and was recently appointed head of the Brazilian Tourism Promotion and Qualification Programs run by the Ministry of Tourism.
Under discussion was bill PL 442/91 which is now being considered in the Board of the House of Representatives, which in turn is responsible for directing the legislative work and administrative services of the House. The bill if approved would allow for a large expansion of government regulated betting including casinos and bingo halls.
Santos said that the Ministry was still optimistic about the bill. “We are confident, since the positive points of legalisation are many, from the increase in tax collection, to the regulation of workers who are now working illegally, to the generation of new opportunities, attracting tourists and foreign capital to the country,” he said.
Meanwhile Moacyr Auersvald, President of Brazil’s National Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality Workers (CONTRATUH) said that foreign operators had already demonstrated their eagerness in getting involved in the market should Brazil give casinos the green light. “Casinos from all over the world want to invest in Brazil, we were at a conference in Las Vegas and the ‘big players’ of the market, such as MGM or Caesars, have already indicated that they are interested in setting up complexes in our territory,” Auersvald said adding that it would generate jobs and it was “absurd” not to take advantage of the opportunity.
President of the Brazilian Association of Bingos, Casinos (ABRABINCS), Olavo Sales da Silveira added that millions of dollars would be invested in the industry and as a result, gaming had to be part of “state policy.”
