Legalization of casinos, bingo, and the jogo do bicho (a type of illegal lottery) is on the Senate's agenda.

The bill authorizing the operation of casinos and bingo halls in Brazil, legalizing jogo do bicho and allowing bingo at racetracks may be voted on in plenary on Wednesday (4). Also on the agenda are projects on: incentives for sugarcane producers for biofuels; penalties for those who facilitate sex tourism; and cyber defense. The session is scheduled for 14 pm and the proposal is item 4 on the agenda.

Bill 2.234/2022 ( Bill 442/1991 in the Chamber of Deputies ) was introduced in 1991 by then-federal deputy Renato Vianna. Approved by the Chamber of Deputies more than 30 years later, in 2022, the bill was sent to the Senate, where it was approved by the Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ) in June 2024. Its inclusion on the Plenary's agenda was a demand from parliamentarians, according to the Senate President, Senator Rodrigo Pacheco.

"It's something that already came from the Chamber of Deputies, it has the support of the government, support from various sectors. And the Senate needs to decide whether to approve it or not. That's why several senators asked, in the leaders' meeting, that it be submitted to the Plenary, especially since it has already been reviewed by the CCJ," Pacheco explained in an interview last week.

The project foresees the creation of two taxes whose revenue will be shared with states, the Federal District, municipalities, the Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion (Embratur), and sports and culture funds. According to the rapporteur, Senator Irajá (PSD-TO), the various types of gambling currently considered illegal would have generated between R$ 14,3 billion and R$ 31,5 billion in 2023. The estimate was based on data from 2014 adjusted for inflation. With legalization, there would be revenue for the government.

The proposed rules are specific to different types of gambling. According to the rapporteur, by establishing numerical limits for commercial establishments that can offer casinos, bingo, and the jogo do bicho (a type of illegal lottery), the bill "facilitates oversight by the Ministry of Finance and allows for greater state control over potential negative externalities."