Celso Sabino, Brazil’s Tourism Minister, is expecting the vote to legalize land-based casinos to occur in the first half of 2025.
Brazil’s regulated online betting market went live on Jan. 1, but delays in legalizing land-based casinos throughout 2024 have cast doubt on the future of brick-and-mortar gambling regulation.
The bill to legalize casinos, bingo, jogo de bicho and betting on horseracing was approved by the Justice and Citizenship Committee back in June 2024. However, the Senate is yet to vote upon the proposal, with the latest delay coming in December.
Sabino remains confident, though, telling M&E: “The bill regulating casinos has already been approved in the Chamber of Deputies and is in the Senate. We expect it to be approved and sanctioned by the president in the first half of 2025.”
