Brazil Gambling Legalization Vote Postponed
Brazilian senator Irajá Silvestre (PSD-TO) said last week the time still isn’t right for the senate to vote on land-based casinos.
This is at least the second time the vote to legalize land-based casinos, jogo de bicho and betting on horse racing in Brazil was postponed. An August date was missed and an October vote was predicted, after municipal elections concluded early in the month. But the bill has yet to be moved over the line.
Silvestre, rapporteur of the land-based casinos bill, said: “We are waiting for things to cool down a bit, but I am convinced that this year we will pass the bill. We already have the necessary votes, we have convinced the senators, at least the majority,” according to Yogonet.
New Brazil Bill Would Ban Digital Betting
A bill to ban online sports betting in Brazil has been proposed by senator Sérgio Petecão on concerns that betting impacts mental health and drives financial debt, reports iGB.
Bill 4.031/2024 was put to the senate on Oct. 21 It is the latest in a series of initiatives by politicians to restrict online betting in Brazil, months before the licensed market is scheduled to open on New Year’s Day.
Preparations to award licenses are in motion but senators and public figures have expressed concern. Key issues are the impact that online betting can have on vulnerable groups including the elderly and those receiving social benefits.
Concern stems from a controversial study that claimed regular bettors have sacrificed money meant for food and medicine to wager. Despite its small sample size (1,337 consumers polled) and controversial findings, the study received significant media coverage.
Brazil’s SPA Secretary on Gambling, Regulation and a New Landscape
Regis Dudena, Secretary of Prizes and Bets (SPA) in Brazil wrote this week that “transparency, collaboration and responsibility” are bringing iGaming into the “light.” He wrote an editorial for Folha de Sao Paolo that ran Oct. 23 and was reprinted and translated in Games Brasil Magazine.
Brazilian officials are planning to launch regulated digital and retail sports betting at the start of 2025. Earlier this week, a senate vote to approve land-based casinos, bingo and horseracing was postponed. In addition, a bill that would ban digital wagering was introduced.
Dudena traces the history of betting in Brazil – it was made legal in 2018, but not regulated. He wrote that the industry “grew rapidly” and that many “made money,” but that he believes regulation is essential. Beginning in 2023, his office has supported provisional measures that ban children from betting, lay out some anti-money laundering regulations and more. So began the regulation of a massive and unregulated market, he wrote.
Dudena also addresses the issue of the latest lists in Brazil – one of approved operators and platforms, and another, much larger one of banned platforms. Earlier this month, SPA blocked more than 2,000 gambling sites it deemed to be illegally operating. As the regulator and government officials continue their work, Dudena wrote, “there is now light on a scenario that for so many years was under an irresponsible blackout.”
MetaBet Wagering Widgets Now Available in Multiple Languages
MetaBet this week launched its sports and wager widgets in Latin American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. The new widgets offer additional data besides odds, including scores, schedules and standings. The launch is timely, given that Brazil has plans to go live with regulated sports betting in January.
“We take pride in our unrivaled ability to empower partners to connect with their target audiences in key markets,” MetaBet Founder Mark Phillip said via press release. “Adding Latin American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese to our widgets allows us to strengthen our partners’ localized strategies.”
