Brazilian Senate defers gambling legalisation vote until August

Jade Denosta July 24, 2024

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Brazilian Senate defers gambling legalisation vote until August

The Brazilian Senate has postponed voting on Bill 2.234/22, a proposal to legalise and regulate casinos, bingos, and other forms of gambling within the country. This decision has been made despite Senator Irajá Silvestre, the bill’s rapporteur, and others urging to proceed with the vote before the Senate’s recess on 18 July.

Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco (pictured above), however, believes that a more comprehensive review should be conducted upon the Senate’s return on 1 August.

Supporters, including Senator Silvestre, believe that the bill presents a great opportunity to boost tax revenue, draw in foreign investment, and generate over a million new jobs. Bill 2.234/22 aims to set up a national system for gambling, which could potentially override the authority of individual states and local governments that currently have control over this matter.

However, the path to legalisation is not so simple. President Lula da Silva reportedly wanted the vote to happen before recess but this did not happen as a powerful opponent emerged – the evangelical group in the Senate. The evangelicals are vehemently opposing the bill, arguing that the current draft lacks sufficient safeguards against gambling addiction and could exacerbate social problems.

Decades of challenges

Bill 2.234/22 has faced obstacles in the past. It was initially drafted in 1991 but was only approved last month by a Senate committee after more than a decade. This lengthy process and complexity of the issue has created varying opinions regarding gambling regulation in Brazil.

With the vote postponed, the coming weeks will likely see continued debate and potential proposals to amend the bill. The evangelical senate group will undoubtedly lobby for stricter regulations, while proponents will likely fight to maintain the bill’s obvious economic benefits.

Only time will tell if Brazil will join the ranks of countries with legalised and regulated casinos, bingos, and gambling or if Bill 2.234/22 faces yet another delay.