Operator News
Brazil – Sands and Brazilian Tourist Board discuss integrated resorts
By Phil - 18 September 2019
The President of The Brazilian Tourist Board (EMBRATUR) Gilson Machado Neto and the President of Las Vegas Sands Sheldon Adelson have reportedly discussed the opportunities that the construction of integrated resorts would provide if Brazil went ahead and changed its gaming laws.
The meeting is said to have taken place in the wings of the IMEX America 2019, America’s worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events, which took place last week in Las Vegas. Mr. Adelson, who has been receiving treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, outlined the success of the model in Singapore saying that integrated resorts in Las Vegas generated employment and decreased crime rates.
Sheldon Adelson also reported that he and his competitors had an interest in investing in Brazil as they did in Asia. The value of the investment could reach up to US$ 15bn.
The President of EMBRATUR said that there are already a number of projects under consideration in Congress which propose casinos as part of large scale resorts. Rafael Luisi, Strategic Management Advisor for EMBRATUR said that the board will be part of ongoing discussions when it comes to the business model in Congress. “This is the time to clarify (the issue). We intend to provide legislators with the information they need to make the right decision.”
Momentum has been building for Integrated Resort Casinos for some time. In June last year in a column published in local daily O Globo former Minister of Tourism Vinicius Lummertz urged lawmakers to make fundamental changes to Brazilian gaming laws and allow for casinos in integrated resorts. Mr. Lummertz said that if casinos were allowed then they would bring in more than R$50bn in investment and generate over 100,000 jobs in Brazil.
On previous visits to Brazil, Mr. Adelson said: “I’m here to consider investing in one or more integrated resorts.”
In May 2017, Adelson met with standing Brazilian President Michel Temer and several government officials to pitch an $8bn casino project in Rio de Janeiro.
EMBRATUR, the Ministry of Tourism, and the National Forum of State Secretaries and Directors of Tourism (FORNATUR) have been urging lawmakers to try to push forward bills which would legalise casino gaming in large scale resorts.
