Legislation
Brazil – Tourism Minister to present Integrated Resort Casino plan to President
By Phil - 21 May 2020
Brazil’s Tourism Minister Marcelo Álvaro Antônio has revealed that discussions with President Jair Bolsonaro on introducing casinos in Brazil were interrupted by the pandemic of COVID-19.
His plan is to allow casinos in resorts, mainly in the Northeast
Mr. Antônio said: “We do not advocate the legalisation of bingos, slots, what we defend are casinos integrated into the resorts, which occupy about three to five per cent of the complex and help subsidise their cost. This is a project that is being built by the Ministry of Tourism to be presented to the president.”
He highlighted that whilst the legalisation of gambling was not an official policy of President Jair Bolsonaro’s government, the viability of casinos within resorts is something he will later present to Congress.
“I would like to clarify that this is not a government policy,” he added. “This is a project that is being built by the Ministry of Tourism to be presented to the president. Obviously, themes such as money laundering and foreign exchange evasion surround the subject. In tourism, we need to invest in attraction, which will be fundamental for the resumption. So, I would talk about casinos integrated with resorts, where people who can hire a tour package will have access to vacation at that resort. This will preserve the bulk of the Brazilian population from having access to the machines.”
