The Senate Constitution and Justice Committee has a meeting scheduled for this Wednesday (22), at 10 am, and on the agenda is the vote on Bill 2.234/2022, which legalizes casinos, bingos, and the "jogo do bicho". The rapporteur, Senator Irajá (PSD-TO), has already anticipated a favorable vote on the matter, but maneuvers by opponents of legalization are expected to lead the CCJ to postpone the analysis of the matter.
Despite various favorable demonstrations for the project and serious and responsible clarifications, opponents of legal gambling in Brazil continue to force the postponement of Bill 2.234/2022. The project authorizes the installation of casinos in tourist hubs or integrated leisure complexes, under the limit of one casino per state and in the Federal District, with the exception of São Paulo, which could have up to three casinos, and Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Amazonas, and Pará, where the limit for each state is two casinos.
Last week, it was agreed to remove the Bill from the agenda due to the absence of the rapporteur, Senator Irajá (PSD-TO), who has already advanced being favorable to the matter. To gain time and keep the game illegal, without collecting taxes or generating jobs, the parliamentarians opposed to the project have already warned that they will request a review so that the theme is not voted on.
Respecting the procedure, the president of the CCJ, Senator Davi Alcolumbre (União-PA) has already admitted that the Bill will be reviewed and that it will go to vote on June 5, considering that next week's session (29) will be semi-presential.
According to him, the Bill reached the Constitution and Justice Committee on May 10 last year and can no longer be indefinitely postponed sine die.
According to the proposal, already approved in the Chamber of Deputies within the scope of Bill 442/91, in addition to the legalization of casinos in tourist hubs or integrated leisure complexes, bingos and "jogo do bicho", gaming houses on maritime and river vessels, which will follow specific rules, will also be able to operate. The casino must prove a minimum integrated social capital of at least R$ 100 million and can be accredited for 30 years.
The proposition also establishes rules for the game of bingo in cart and electronic modalities, and allows in each state the accreditation of a legal entity for every 700,000 inhabitants for the exploitation of the "jogo do bicho".
In this case, the authorizations will be valid for 25 years, renewable for an equal period. Horse races may be exploited by turf entities (linked to turf) accredited in the Ministry of Agriculture, which may also explore, at the same time, games of bingo and video bingo.
In his report, Irajá dismissed as “an indeterminate legal concept” the offense to morals and good customs, used as an argument against gambling, and highlighted that the project deals with passing to the State's control a practice that today constitutes a misdemeanor.
Citing statistics on the market for legal or illegal bets, Irajá concludes that “gambling already constitutes a relevant economic activity”.
Source: GMB
