Senate postpones vote on bill that increases taxation on online betting from 12% to 24%.

 

The president of the Senate's Economic Affairs Committee (CAE), Renan Calheiros (MDB-AL), canceled the session that would analyze Bill 5473/2025 this Tuesday (18). The decision was made after information that the president of the Chamber, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), does not intend to put the proposal to a vote due to lack of parliamentary support. The bill proposes to double the taxation on online betting from 12% to 24% and increase the Social Contribution on Net Profit (CSLL) for digital financial institutions.

The suspension occurred after the Senate president, Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP), informed Renan about Motta's position regarding the insufficient votes for the bill's approval in the Chamber of Deputies. According to Renan Calheiros, the author of the proposal, the decision was clear: “I postponed it to next Tuesday. The Chamber informed President Davi that it will not vote on the bill,” he said.

The postponement was strategically motivated, as Senate approval would be merely symbolic without the necessary support in the Chamber of Deputies. The vote is expected to be rescheduled for next week, as initially planned by the senators.

During this period, negotiations are expected to take place to convince the Speaker of the House to reconsider his position and schedule the bill for a vote. The rapporteur, Eduardo Braga (MDB-AM), is expected to continue talks with the Ministry of Finance, but has chosen not to submit his supplementary votes until there is a clear definition of the new voting date.

Braga had been negotiating adjustments with the economic team and with senators resistant to the new tax rates. The rapporteur even conditioned the advancement of the text on the government presenting specific measures against illegal betting houses, considered essential to prevent the migration of legalized companies to the underground market.

Members of the PP and PL parties in the Senate have expressed resistance to increasing the tax rate for betting companies, arguing that raising taxes could harm innovation in the sector. The proposal faces additional difficulties with the presentation of 21 amendments and requests for public hearings, as well as pressure from the financial sector.

Coordination between the two Houses became crucial after the expiration of a provisional measure dealing with the same issue, leaving the government without a legislative alternative. The proposal is part of the fiscal package that enables an increase in the income tax exemption for those earning up to R$ 5 per month.

In addition to tax changes for betting and fintech companies, Bill 5473/2025 also includes the creation of a debt refinancing program with the Federal Revenue Service and the Attorney General's Office of the National Treasury aimed at low-income individuals.

The bill is being processed in a final stage in the CAE (Committee on Economic Affairs) and, if approved, may proceed directly to the Chamber of Deputies, unless an appeal is filed for a vote in the Senate plenary.