Are bingo games worth it?

The decision by Judge Guilherme Calmon da Gama, of the 6th Federal Regional Court, ordering the closure of 38 bingo halls in the city of Rio de Janeiro, based on the argument that they are unregulated activities, as argued in a public civil action filed by the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, reignites a problem that Congress – which has the final say – has avoided addressing, under strong pressure from the powerful gambling lobby for a decision that favors it. The bingo hall owners must also seal the slot machines and electronic bingo machines, and Loterj (the Rio de Janeiro State Lottery) cannot renew or issue new authorizations for this type of activity. Disregard for the court decision will be punished with a daily fine of R$ 50 for the bingo hall owners and R$ 100 for Loterj. Even the sports sector, which in principle could benefit from aid that the bingo halls should legally provide, is divided. According to the Minister of Sports, Agnelo Queiroz, the problem lies in the lack of regulation of this activity, which, according to him, the government will propose so that his ministry can count on a percentage of the bingo revenue. However, the president of the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB), Carlos Arthur Nuzman, believes that activities with distinct objectives should not be mixed. Loterj, in turn, lamented the court's decision, arguing that a large part of the social projects developed by the state government are financed by resources transferred from bingo halls, totaling R$ 13 million annually. The public authorities need to decide whether it is worthwhile to run the serious risk represented by bingo halls in exchange for the small help they receive from them for sports and social programs. Indeed, it is estimated that gambling in general – in which bingo and slot machines occupy a prominent position – generates R$ 500 million per year in Brazil, according to a comprehensive report published in August by O Estado de S. Paulo. Therefore, amounts like the R$ 13 million from Loterj – Rio is one of the places where bingo is most well established – can only be a very modest contribution. Furthermore, this money is of seriously suspicious origin, judging by what São Paulo prosecutor Rodrigo Canelas Dias says. Slot machines and other similar machines, associated to varying degrees and forms with most bingo halls only in appearance – he points out – are harmless, as they contain devices that allow their behavior to be altered according to the will of those who operate them. And documents sent to the São Paulo Public Prosecutor's Office by the Anti-Mafia Investigative Directorate of the Italian police indicate that dirty money, including from drug trafficking, is being laundered in Brazil by companies linked to the importation and operation of those machines, associated with illegal gambling operators. In the case of bingo halls and slot machines and similar devices, it's not just a matter of regulation. What needs to be decided is whether the country should accept this type of aid for sports and social programs.