Brazil’s Senate could vote on land based gambling bill this week
The President of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco announced last Thursday (28) that the House may vote this week on the proposal that legalizes land based gambling in Brazil. According to Pacheco, the project is expected to be on the agenda for the plenary session of the House on Wednesday (4). If it is not possible to analyze the text this week, the senator indicated that the proposal may return to the agenda on December 10.
According to a report from Globo the text is part of the list of priority votes for the Senate over the next three weeks, leading up to the parliamentary recess that begins on December 23. The agenda was set during a meeting of leaders on Thursday morning.
Among the proposals highlighted by the leadership are regulations for artificial intelligence (AI) and the main text regulating tax reforms amongst other proposals.
The interim government leader in the House, Senator Otto Alencar told Globo that there have been favourable signals from the majority of leaders regarding the inclusion of the proposal in this week’s agenda. The opposition in the House, on the other hand, claims it will position itself against the measure.
Pacheco stated that several lawmakers requested the project to be included in the House’s agenda by the end of this year. Pacheco also noted that the “critical” situation regarding online sports betting has fuelled the call for the Senate to take a stance on other forms of gambling.
“It is something that has already come from the Chamber, has government support, and backing from various segments. And the Senate needs to decide whether to approve it or not. Therefore, several senators requested in the leaders’ meeting that it be submitted to the plenary, especially since it has already been considered by the CCJ (Commission on Constitution, Justice, and Citizenship),” stated the senator.
In June the Constitution and Justice Committee (CJ) approved, PL 2234/2022. According to the text of the bill, casinos may be installed in resorts as part of an integrated leisure complex that must contain at least 100 high-end hotel rooms, meeting and event venues, restaurants, bars and shopping centres. In order to determine where casinos can be opened, the Executive Branch must consider the existence of the tourism industry and the economic and social potential of the region. According to the proposal, gaming houses will also be able to operate on sea and river vessels. Each economic group may hold only one licence per state, and licensing will be carried via a public bidding process which be decided on the technical and financial bids put forward by potential operators.
The law also permits municipalities and the Federal District to licence bingo halls. Bingo halls will also be allowed in stadiums with a capacity of over 15,000 spectators. Bingo halls must be located in places with a minimum area of 1,500 square meters, where up to 400 video bingo machines can also be located, but slot machines will be prohibited. Only one bingo hall will be accredited for every 150,000 inhabitants in the municipality where the establishment will operate, in accordance with the regulations. In municipalities with less than 150,000 inhabitants, only one bingo hall will be accredited. Licenses will be granted for 25-years and will be renewable for an equal period. In addition, the bill defines rules for electronic and card bingo.
For the legalization of the street lottery “jogo de bicho” accreditation will be for a period of 25 years, renewable for an equal period if the requirements are met. There may be, at most, one operator of this game for every 700 thousand inhabitants of the state or Federal District. In those with less than 700 thousand inhabitants, there can only be one accredited licence holder for the animal game.
Meanwhile horse racing may be operated by tourism entities accredited by the Ministry of Agriculture, which may also be accredited to operate, at the same time, bingo and video bingo games.
