The Brazilian Senate has postponed its planned vote on a comprehensive federal bill aimed at reforming the nation’s laws concerning land-based gambling, including casinos, horseracing, bingo, and instant win games like jogo do bicho. The deferment became evident when further discussions of Bill No. 2,234/2022 were pushed to 2025, due to a request by Senator Eduardo Girão for a temporary suspension, citing the need to complete the legislative framework.
The Senate started reviewing the bill’s provisions in September after it was backed by Senator Irajá Abreu. This legislation seeks to update regulations for land-based gambling and had proponents advocating for swift Senate action to synchronize with the establishment of Brazil’s emerging Bets Market—the country’s new federal structure for overseeing online gambling.
However, this call for urgency was denied as Senators pointed out that the policies within the bill were originally drafted over ten years ago by Renato Vianna, the former sponsor. Vianna had emphasized maintaining the 1946 Decree Law by President Gaspar Dutra, which banned casino operations in Brazilian municipalities and districts.
Additionally, Senator Flávio Arns proposed delaying the vote and changing its “urgent” status on the legislative agenda—an action supported by 33 Senators. An official request was also made for the Ministry of Health to assess the bill’s financial implications and its potential impact on the United Health System (SUS) and the Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS).
Rodrigo Pacheco, the President of the Senate, stated that should the urgency request be rejected and the information request suggested by Senator Flávio Arns be accepted, there would be no possibility of the bill being approved this year. The decision would fall to the next Board of Directors and Leaders, with no risk of unexpected submission in the immediate weeks.
As a result, the casino bill was withdrawn from the daily agenda by its rapporteur, Irajá Abreu. Senator Alessandro Vieira remarked on the current challenges with betting regulation, as reported by SBC Noticias.
