Legislation

Brazil – Evangelical bench warns against gambling reform

By Phil - 3 December 2019

A powerful evangelical pastor and congressman has warned President of the Brazilian Tourist Board (EMBRATUR) Gilson Machado against lobbying for casinos. In an interview with newspaper Folha de S.Paulo published over the weekend, Gilson Machado defended the opening of casinos in Brazil in order to boost tourism and create jobs.

But speaking for the evangelical bench, which makes up President Jair Bolsonaro’s main support base in Congress, lawmaker Marco Feliciano said that if the government insisted on pressing the issue, then that base would crumble.

In a tweet addressed to Gilson Machado, Feliciano said: “Friend @gilsonmachadont, I know your intention is good to increase tourism in Brazil. But be warned: guiding gambling right now will only split PR @jairbolsonaro’s base. The Evangelical Bench will march united against it, and pastors from all over Brazil will preach against it.”

Marco Feliciano, an evangelical pastor and congressman has sold more than 600,000 self-help books and DVDs. He gained prominence in recent years for his fundamentalist Christianity and conservative social views. A long time member of the Social Christian party, in March 2018 Feliciano joined the Podemos party. In July 2019 Feliciano announced that he would run as a vice-presidential candidate in the 2022 Brazilian general election.

Last month Representatives of the block known as Centrão resumed a campaign to allow for the opening of casinos in the country. Centrão is an informal but powerful multi party bloc with no clear ideological line, but its members share conservative values. President Jair Bolsonaro was consulted to see if the government would support a project allowing for casinos in the country, but gave no definitive answer. Bolsonaro told interlocutors that it would first be necessary to consult the evangelical bench before making a decision. In a conversation with the lawmakers last month, Bolsonaro said anything can be “talked about” as long as it is discussed by the evangelical caucus first.

The ‘bancada evangelica’ (evangelical bench) represents around 200 representatives of the Congress, which has a total number of 513 legislators. Evangelical voters helped propel Bolsonaro to the presidency.