The legalization of gaming was approved last week by the Brazilian Senate when it OK’d a structure that would regulate sports betting, iGaming, land-based casinos, bingo halls, horseracing and the animal lottery game jogo do bicho, which is currently illegal.
The bill now goes to the Chamber of Deputies that was supposed to debate a gaming legalization bill of its own last week, but postponed it. The Senate bill was introduced by Senator Ciro Nogueira in 2014, with a few amendments added along the way.
Brazil is seen as one of the major areas for expansion by the gaming industry with a robust locals market that is currently limited to betting at rudimentary bingo halls and jogo do bicho. Brazil hopes to generate tax revenue, create jobs, and attract tourists by the introduction of gaming.
The scope of iGaming is not yet known, as the bill only refers to “electronic bets.” It will be administered by the national lottery operator Caixa Economica Federal, which would operate the online games via a tender given to one company. The bidding process has yet to be determined as well.
