Senator Irajá Abreu is again pushing for land-based casino to be legalised in Brazil, claiming such a move could generate BRL20 billion ($3.7 billion) in taxes.
While online gambling regulation was launched on 1 January this year, land-based betting remains illegal.
This is despite Brazil’s Justice and Citizenship Committee approving PL 2,234/2022, which includes land-based casinos, bingo, jogo do bicho and betting on horse racing.
The Senate vote has been postponed on numerous occasions, most recently in July, but Irajá hopes legalisation of land-based gambling arrives sooner rather than later in order to reap the financial rewards.
“Without a doubt, this discussion is about an economic and social agenda, not just entertainment for the country,” Irajá told Brazilian news outlet ND Mais. “We will create a new business environment in Brazil, which will generate more than a million new jobs for the Brazilian people.
“In taxes alone, there is a prospect of collecting at least BRL20 billion and these resources will be used to benefit the population, divided between the states, Brazilian municipalities, health, education, public safety.”
Could tourism double with land-based casino legalisation?
Beyond taxes and job creation, Irajá also cited enhancing Brazil’s underperforming tourism sector as a reason to legalise land-based gambling.
In 2023, Brazil welcomed around six million tourists. The Dominican Republic, on the other hand, received over 10 million tourists, despite its land mass fitting into Brazil’s around 175 times.
“We’re facing a topic that will boost Brazilian tourism, which is what’s happened worldwide,” Irajá continued.
“Countries that have legalised responsible gambling have doubled their tourist flow in just five years. Meanwhile, Brazil watches all these tourists from Europe, Asia and the United States, visiting Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, but not coming to Brazil to generate wealth, circulate resources within our country and generate foreign currency.”
Irajá also stated that land-based gambling, despite not yet being legal, is already widespread in Brazil.
“The big truth is that bingo, casinos and jogo do bicho, which are activities of Brazilian culture, already operate outside the law, operating in almost all cities in Brazil, in the capitals, in short, on street corners,” Irajá explained.
“And the government does not collect, the Brazilian people do not collect a single cent in taxes, the government does not monitor and we are unable to protect citizens from this game that I call gambling.”
Although online betting is now legal in Brazil, it remains unclear when its land-based alternative will become regulated.