Bill 2.234/22 is the third item on today's agenda and could be approved. The evangelical bench and other sectors opposed to the initiative warned that they "will do everything within their power" to stop the vote.
Brazil.- Today, December 4th at 2 PM a session of the Brazilian Senate that could change the gaming paradigm in Brazil will begin. The third item on the legislative body's agenda will be the discussion of Bill 2.234/22, which regulates casinos in tourist centers and resorts, as well as bingos, Jogo do Bicho, and online games.
Approved, in a tight vote, by the Senate's Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ) in June, the proposal establishes rules and inspection mechanisms for games. The bill is part of the Senate's priority votes before the parliamentary recess on December 23, as defined in a meeting of leaders and if not voted today, it could be included again in the agenda for the next session on December 10th.
On the eve of today's session, various scenarios about which blocks will accompany the proposal indicate that the project would be approved. According to the scenarios posed before the start of the session, it is expected that more than half of the 81 senators will vote in favor, leading to the project's approval.
Despite this, it is expected that the approval will not be easy or expedited, as the sectors opposing the measure will seek to delay the treatment, or at least, delay it by resorting to all possible maneuvers within what the Senate's regulations allow.
Senator Cleiton Azevedo, Cleitinho, gave an interview to O Fator and hinted that the ruling party is on track to approve the proposal. Cleitinho is part of the Evangelical Parliamentary Front in the Senate, which has 22 members and is chaired by Carlos Viana. The group has already opposed the bill's approval several times. However, according to Azevedo, they are a minority among the 81 senators of the chamber.
"Here we are mobilizing, Eduardo Girão, myself, and others against the project. But we are not the majority, no. It seems that the government also wants the approval," admitted Cleitinho. The President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has commented that, although he is not completely in favor of the project, he will sanction the law. "If Congress approves it and there is an agreement among the political parties, there is no reason not to sanction it," Lula stated. Other officials and ministers of the national government have also referred in the last six months to the importance of the project's approval.
Meanwhile, Senator Carlos Viana said that he and other members of the Evangelical Bench are determined to take all possible measures to delay the project's vote. "We will position ourselves against it, through the Evangelical Parliamentary Front," Viana stated and added: "And we will use everything possible in the regulations to delay this vote and draw the public's attention to the disaster that will be the approval of gambling in our country."
Senator Eduardo Girão known for his critical stance on gambling, used social media to call for a popular mobilization against the project. "We need the mobilization of our good citizens, demanding that the senators reverse this. Regarding betting houses, I voted against last year and publicly warned what would happen," declared Girão.
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The text of the law authorizes the installation of casinos in tourist hubs or integrated leisure complexes, with a 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.
According to the proposal, gaming rooms can also operate on maritime and river vessels, which will follow specific rules. The casino must demonstrate a minimum integrated social capital of at least R$ 100m (USD 19m) and can be accredited for 30 years.
The proposal also establishes rules for the game of bingo in cardboard 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."
