The public hearing on the bill to eliminate the gambling monopoly in Paraguay has been postponed due to the news of the death of Deputy Eulalio “Lalo” Gomes. Gomes died in the early hours of 19 August 2024, after being shot dead in his home by police officers, following a search warrant minutes after an indictment was issued against him and his son for money laundering linked to drug trafficking.
The bill’s sponsor, Adrian Vaesken stated to the local media ABC that they respected the decision to suspend activities, given the death of a national legislator. The public hearing will therefore be rescheduled.
Talking with the Paraguayan newspaper, Vaesken argued that the current National Constitution promotes competition, and thus, it is contradictory to grant the gambling concession to a single company, which is the case with the lottery and sports betting sectors.
He also mentioned that holding the public hearing is a new strategy to advance the bill’s treatment, as the initiative has been promoted for months but has not progressed.
Meanwhile the head of the Association of Gambling Operators (APOJA), Lorena Rojas, expressed regret over the lack of discussion in the Lower House regarding the bill to end the lottery and sports betting monopoly.
“We are very disappointed by the suspension of the hearing. We understand it will be held next week. In fact, we urge the president of the legislation committee to ensure it takes place next week.”
Rojas added that the association hopes to amend the law by November this year so that the new conditions can apply to the upcoming tender.
The Paraguayan Association of Gambling Operators (APOJA) announced that on Monday, August 22, they would hold a public hearing in the Chamber of Deputies to discuss a bill aimed at modifying Law No. 1,016/1997 in an attempt to eliminate the monopoly on the concession of gambling activities.
Lawmakers headed by Deputy Billy Vaesken have put forward a number of modifications that would end the way the law allows for monopolies in certain sectors of the gaming industry in the country.