Eduardo Leite will send a bill to reinstate the Rio Grande do Sul state lottery in February.

Governor Eduardo Leite will announce by the end of February the submission to the Legislative Assembly of a bill under urgent procedure to authorize the operation of the Rio Grande do Sul state lottery in four modalities. The initiative was confirmed this Tuesday (February 4th), during the inauguration of the new president of the Assembly, Deputy Sergio Peres (Republicanos), which marks the beginning of the 2026 legislative year.

The initiative is aligned with State Law No. 15.868/2022, which authorized the operation of lotteries by the State, and with Decree No. 57.271/2023, which regulated the matter. The project was structured by the Secretariat of Partnerships and Concessions, with technical support from the Shimata & Kikuchi GBSA consortium.

Disagreements regarding the inclusion of sports betting.

The project, which underwent public consultation, includes four operating modalities, including the possibility of accrediting sports betting companies (bets) at the state level. This specific point has generated controversy among parliamentarians, even within the government's allied base.

Representative Tiago Simon (MDB) positioned himself against the inclusion of bets in the project. “Own goal,” stated the parliamentarian, who said he personally requested that Vice-Governor Gabriel Souza reassess this part of the proposal. Along the same lines, the government leader in the Assembly, Deputy Frederico Antunes (PP), supports the resumption of lotteries, but opposes sports betting.

The government is still evaluating the final format of the proposal.

The Chief Secretary of the Civil House, Artur Lemos, explained that the final version of the project is still being developed. “We have just concluded the public consultation. Four main points were presented. From now on, we will share the studies and what will be sent with the base, including whether the bets will be included,” Lemos stated.

The public consultation on the project remained open until January 29th, with a form available on the Parcerias RS website for receiving contributions. The government also held a public hearing at Procergs headquarters on Monday (January 26th) to discuss the concession process for state lottery services.

Behind the scenes at Piratini Palace, the inclusion of sports betting is being seen as a negotiating element, known as a "red herring," which could be removed later to facilitate the approval of other lottery modalities. Resistance to the inclusion of... bets It is identified in different parliamentary groups.

Concession structure and planned investments

The project aims to delegate to the private sector the implementation and operation of various lottery modalities in the State, including fixed-odds betting, prediction lotteries, instant and traditional lotteries. The concession is structured in two models: a 20-year Common Concession for traditional, prediction and instant lotteries, with a minimum fixed grant of R$ 100,84 million; and a 5-year Accreditation model for fixed-odds betting, with a minimum fixed grant of R$ 5 million per accredited entity.

The investment plan foresees a total of R$ 52,64 million, allocated to the opening and maintenance of 3.074 standard points of sale and 11 mandatory dedicated points. The projected gross revenue for the first year is R$ 1,2 billion, with an expected growth to R$ 2,1 billion in the fifth year, totaling R$ 47,7 billion over the 20-year concession period.

An important aspect of the project is the social allocation of the funds raised. Of the total, 20% will be directed to social areas, including 5% for the State Public Security Fund, 5% for the State Health Fund, 5% for the State Fund for Support of Social and Productive Inclusion, and 5% for the State Sports Fund.

Responsible gaming and protection for bettors.

The project includes a Responsible Gaming Plan, prioritizing practices that ensure responsible promotion and advertising, as well as measures for prevention and risk reduction. The model adopts recommendations from international bodies, including self-exclusion mechanisms and spending limits.

The SPA/MF Ordinance No. 1.231/24, incorporated into the project, defines the rights and duties of bettors and operators, as well as establishing rules on healthy advertising and risk prevention. The notice also establishes prohibitions against glamorization and appeals to easy money, in addition to completely banning advertising directed at minors.

Adjustment of the minimum wage for teachers and other priorities.

During a press conference following the ceremony, Eduardo Leite confirmed that he will fully implement the national minimum wage adjustment for teachers, adopting the 5,4% rate set by the federal government. This measure will impact state coffers by more than R$ 400 million.

“We will apply the full percentage of the readjustment across the entire table, as we have done every year. Recently, there have been many mobilizations regarding the case of the dog Orelha, which moved the population, and another one here in Rio Grande do Sul, so we will request urgency for this project that creates the animal welfare fund,” stated Leite.

Projects will be submitted before Carnival.

The government is also preparing a project related to basic sanitation for the 180 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul not served by Corsan. The initiative seeks to help these localities meet the requirements of the legal framework for sanitation by 2033.

The proposals regarding the minimum wage for teachers, the animal welfare fund, and basic sanitation will be submitted by February 13th, before the Carnival period.

The schedule established by the State for the lottery concession foresees the publication of the final versions and the tender notice in April 2026, followed by the auction in July, approval of the bidding process in August, and signing of the contract in October of the same year.