Thanks to Senator Irajá Abreu, Brazil may complete its review and vote on Bill 2,234/22 by the end of September, but opposition may delay approval. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

May pass by end of September

Thanks to Senator Irajá Abreu, Brazil may complete its review and vote on Bill 2,234/22 by the end of September. Abreu is pushing for the vote by then so that its consideration will not conflict with Brazil’s municipal elections.

key parts of the bill were written over a decade ago

Abreu is the rapporteur—a person appointed by an organization to report on the proceedings of its meetings—of Bill 2,234/22, which carries the mandate to modernize Brazil’s federal laws governing land-based gambling activities related to casinos, horseracing, bingos, and the sale of jogos de bicho (instant win games). Key parts of the bill were written over a decade ago by Deputy Renato Vianna (MDB-SC), but Senator Abreu insists that the “bill’s text is mature.”

Time to modernize gambling laws

The bill includes the headline measure to annul the 1946 Decree Law of President Gaspar Dutra, which banned casinos from operating in Brazil’s municipalities and districts. Until now, the bill has been sidelined for over three years. But Abreu believes it is time for an update to Brazil’s approach to gambling. The bill has received the support of Magnho José Santos, President of the Legal Gaming Institute (IJL), and Hazenclever Lopes Cançado, President of the Rio de Janeiro State Lottery (Loterj).

segment that is currently dominated and controlled by organized crime”

Abreu said: “The matter is ready; it is ripe. I am very confident that we have enough votes to approve this matter and deliver to the Brazilian people a framework, a new business environment with clear rules, and that we can invite serious people to work in this segment that is currently dominated and controlled by organized crime.”

According to Minister of Finance Fernando Haddad, passage of the bill would modernize Brazil’s gambling laws and bring them in line with other OECD and G20 nations, 90% of which have regulated their gambling markets.

Brazil’s Worker Party (PT) has issued cautious support for the bill. According to the PT, Brazil’s priorities should first focus on the Brazil Bets market—with a deadline by January 1—to serve as the framework for federally regulated online gambling.