São Vicente will be the first city in the Baixada Santista region to have a municipal lottery.
To create the first municipal lottery in the Baixada Santista region, the São Vicente City Hall hired a consulting firm. Since March 28th, a contract has been in place between the Municipal Finance Department and the Foundation for the Development of Arts and Communication (Fundac). This contracted firm will study the future concession of the service to private entities and will receive R$ 380 for its work.
The goal is to increase municipal revenue without raising taxes, levies, or creating new fees, according to the administration. Based on the study, the City Hall will decide whether to manage the lottery itself or resort to a private partnership.
The Municipality decided to institute a lottery based on a ruling by the Supreme Federal Court (STF) and the position of Minister Gilmar Mendes: that lotteries are a public service that can be operated, including by municipalities. They just cannot legislate on the matter, which is the sole responsibility of the Federal Government.
According to the Municipality, Fundac has experience in this area: it prepared the legal guidelines for the São Paulo lottery and has already provided services to public bodies such as the Supreme Federal Court (STF), the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), the Chamber of Deputies, and the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo.
The foundation, based in São Paulo, has done other work related to lotteries in the São Paulo cities of Itaquaquecetuba, Embu das Artes, and Poá. In São Vicente, it will have 90 days—until the end of June—to complete the task, but with a possible extension if necessary.
After the completion of the technical-operational, economic, financial, and legal feasibility studies, it will take approximately another 90 days for the São Vicente lottery to begin to take its final form.
Municipal Law 4.311, from last year, already stipulates that São Vicente may operate lotteries directly or indirectly, through public-private partnerships, concessions, permits, accreditation, or any other means provided for by law. ( A Tribuna – Santos – SP)
