A suspension of business due to an urgent plenary session in Congress, the Brazilian Constitution and Justice Commission (CCJ) had to reschedule a vote on a new gaming law. According to Senator Edson Lobao, the president of the CCJ, a vote is now scheduled for the first session of the new year, February 21.
Should the bill pass that vote, it then has to be approved in the House and the Senate. President Michael Temer supports the bill and would sign it. Supporters say all this could be accomplished by mid-March 2018.
The text of the new law includes regulation of jogo do bicho, video bingo, video games, casino games, sports betting and online casinos. The proposed bill would include an accreditation process for bingo and video-bingo that would be good for 20 years. Accreditation of casinos would be good for 30 years.
The bill’s sponsor, Senator Ciro Nogueira, said gaming is part of the daily life of Brazilians, but without generating taxes that benefit society, since it is illegal.
Under the bill, the federal government would oversee casinos, while the states and municipalities would oversee bingo and jobo do bicho. The senator claims his bill will generate about $6 billion annually in taxes. He also claims that underground gambling accounts for about $5.5 billion annually.
The bill calls for the federal government taxing casinos at a 30 percent rate and states and municipalities taxing at the same rate.
Senator Benedito de Lira, who also supports the bill, says it is mistaken to call the issue a “moral” question.
