The Senate Committee on the Constitution and the Judiciary (CCJ) has again postponed a decision on legislation concerning casinos and bingo halls that would legalize gambling and allow betting on horse races.
The bill passed the House of Representatives earlier this year, but it has sparked controversy in the Senate because it has been opposed by evangelical bench and conservative groups.
CCJ head Davi Alcolumbre approved the group’s joint request. He said the leadership allowed for a joint assessment based on established guidelines, in accordance with an agreement reached with committee members.
The report was presented by Senator Irajá (PSD-TO) on April 24 and publicly discussed on May 9. Shortly thereafter, Senator Eduardo Girão voted against the proposal.
While the voting process could last until the July congressional recess, there is still a chance the proposed measure could be approved during that time.
Understand the bill
The bill established the National Gaming and Betting System (Sinaj), which brings together the Ministry of Finance, gaming and betting operators, and related businesses such as accounting firms and equipment rental companies. It also led to the creation of a regulatory body that will be merged into Sinaj.
The bill introduces the CIDE-Jogos tax, which will be up to 17% of the total revenue from gaming activities. This revenue will be distributed, with 34% going to the State Participation Fund (FPE) and another 34% to the Municipal Participation Fund (FPM), with each fund receiving 16% of the total.
The Brazilian government plans to allocate part of the funds to the agency responsible for promoting Brazil's international tourism, and the rest will be distributed to various other designated accounts.
Casino Industry
The proposed legislation would allow casino facilities to be established within hotel complexes that have at least 100 high-quality rooms and can host cultural events, with these casino operations allowed to occupy up to 20 percent of the total site area.
The proposal calls for a casino to be established in states with a population of 15 million or less. States with a population between 15 million and 25 million would have two casinos, and states with a population of more than 25 million would have three casinos.