Brazil Senate Postpones Casino Legalization Bill Vote to 2025

The Brazilian Senate has postponed a vote on Bill 2,234/2022, which proposes the legalization of land-based casinos, bingo halls, and horse race betting. Originally scheduled for December 4, 2024, the vote will now take place in 2025 due to ongoing debates and opposition surrounding the legislation.

The bill approved in June 2024 by the Chamber of Deputies’ Constitution and Justice and Citizenship Commission (CCJC) has faced repeated delays. Although Senator Irajá Silvestre, who introduced the bill, hoped for a vote before the year’s end, debates and demonstrations outside the Senate led to its withdrawal from the December schedule.

Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco announced that a new vote would be held in 2025, giving time for additional assessments. Various departments, including the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, are expected to provide data within the next 30 days on issues like gambling addiction and its impact on vulnerable populations.

Critics of the bill have voiced significant concerns. Senator Eduardo Girão highlighted issues arising from Brazil’s recent legalization of online gambling, which officially launches on January 1, 2025. Reports suggest that gambling is already affecting consumer spending, particularly among low-income groups reliant on social welfare.

Girão pointed to studies showing the negative effects of gambling, stating, “We made a mistake, and the mistake is there: lives destroyed. We cannot take another step, make another mistake, which could cause more problems than solutions.”

Some senators have called for the bill’s permanent dismissal. Senator Eliziane Gama suggested shelving the proposal indefinitely, while Senator Esperidião Amin remarked, “It was not resurrected, it never died: it was in purgatory, it was in limbo, waiting for an opportunity. Six feet is not enough. It has to disappear.”

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Despite the pushback, Senator Irajá remains committed to the bill. He argues that creating a regulated market would help curtail illegal gambling activities currently run by organized crime, while also providing a safer environment for players.

“We are facing a major dilemma in Brazil,” Irajá explained. “There are those who defend the maintenance of gambling controlled and dominated by organized crime in the country. And others like me who defend responsible gaming in the country, controlled by the government, which is monitored, and which also allows taxes to be collected and those who commit crimes to be punished.”

While the bill’s supporters emphasize the benefits of regulation and taxation, opponents remain concerned about the potential social and economic impacts. The next steps involve further analysis and debate in 2025, with no date yet set for the vote.

Several live casino suppliers have already entered the Brazilian market through partnerships with local operators. Pragmatic Play is one of them. One of the most recent agreements the provider has entered was the deal signed with EstrelaBet at the beginning of the current month, through which it enhanced its position in this rapidly growing market.

Source:

, iGaming Business, December 5, 2024.