Brazil: Lower House committee passes gambling bill

A few hous befor Dilma Rousseff was impeached by the Brazilian Senate on Tuesday, the gambling industry marked a victory in its legalization battle.

Under the new legal framework, casinos will have to be set inside integrated resorts that offer hotel and entertainment services. Also bingos will be allowed to operate at locations such as football stadiums with a capacity for more than 15,000 people. Furthermore, each state will be entitled to launch its own lottery game.

The bill that was promoted by MP Guilherme Mussi and that will have to be addressed now at the floor also bans operators from granting or receiving money from financial institutions and people. They will not have access to fiscal benefits either.

Meanwhile, a National Record of people with gambling adiction will be created.

Those operating illegal venues or carrying out gambling-related crimes will be facing sentences of up to 8 in prison as well as economic sanctions.

It will be the federal government of Brazil that will be in charge of controling gambling venues, joining efforts with states and municipalities across the country under an inspection agency that will be created once the project is passed.

“We must end hypocrisy because deregulation will create more income for the government and also the elimination of taxes that hamper Brazil's economic growth,” PTN-SP lawmaker Renata Abreu, the author of the online gambling project, said.