Legalization in Brazil gathers Planalto, Congress, governments and businessmen

Deputies of the recently launched Brazilian Pro-Gaming Parliamentary Front met on Wednesday (8) with the President of the Chamber, Rodrigo Maia (DEM-RJ), to articulate the vote in November of the bill that releases the activity. The Senate thinks to do the same and, in the end, one of the chances is that a rapporteur will merge the texts of the two houses.

While the joints run in Brasilia, Rio Grande do Sul Security Secretary, Cezar Schirmer, said he was in favor of resuming gambling. He informed that, regardless of federal legislation, the government of José Ivo Sartori may decide to reactivate the State Lottery of Rio Grande do Sul ( Lotergs), with exploration of lottery numbers, scratch cards and similars. A Security study group listed the game modes that depend only on state initiative and calculated, according to Schirmer, that the annual collection would be between US$ 25 million and US$ 30 million.

Investors in the sector are even more advanced than politicians: even with the ban on gambling in effect, a house with more than 400 slot machines was opened in the south zone of Porto Alegre, and another is under construction at Rua Miguel Tostes. The agreement is underway and the main argument points to the use of resources raised in the country - estimated at US$ 5.5 billion a year - to irrigate a public security fund.

"We agree with the President of the Chamber, Rodrigo Maia, and he is agreed to put it on the agenda beforel the end of November, unless there is some inconvenience. The Congress approves, and President Michel Temer sanctions," says Nelson Marquezelli (PTB- SP), one of the advocates of legalization.

President of the parliamentary front, Deputy Cesar Halum (PRB-TO), linked to the evangelical group, explains that, in addition to ordinary taxation, there is the possibility of raising up to US$ 3 billion in auctions of grants that will have to be paid by investors who want to explore casinos. He says that if the project is carried out, a regulatory agency should be created.

"We defend the broad regulation: casinos, bingos, state lotteries, online gambling and jogo do bicho, to take the contravention and to put into economic activity, with generation of employment and revenue. Gaming already exists and these people have to pay tax, they (investors) even prefer it, it's cheaper than paying police bribes to work clandestinely," says Halum.

Deputy Governor José Paulo Cairoli participated on Tuesday (7) in a meeting at the home of the governor of the Federal District, Rodrigo Rollemberg (PSB), which was attended by other heads of state executives and the president of the Senate, Eunice Oliveira (PMDB). "We always support this (gaming) as an alternative. It is a new and important resource for security," says Cairoli.

About Lotergs, he explains that it was only deactivated, but never extinct. Therefore, it would have legal conditions to be reactivated only with a political decision of the Sartori government: "Whatever is transparent and comes for safety, health and education, has our support."

The leaders of the process minimize the history of involvement of the businessmen with international money laundering, including cocaine trafficking, as determined by Operation Malocchio, which investigated the action of the Italian mafia in the gaming machine market in Brazil. "In legal gaming, everything will be done by bank card. The IRS will control entries and exits," explains Halum.

What is at stake

Gaming modalities that depend on federal law

Casino, slot machines, bingo, jogo do bicho, online betting.

Modalities that depend on Rio Grande do Sul (RS) decision

The Secretariat of Security assesses that, following the reactivation of Lotergs, it can offer all the gaming modalities provided for in article 2 of decree 40593/2001:

Traditional bingo gaúcho (from RS)

"Trading cards for draws made in special rooms, with distribution of prorated prizes in cash or prizes banked for durable goods."

Multiple chances

"Marketing of cards for draws of dozens made at predefined dates and times, with distribution of prorated prizes in cash or prizes banked for durable goods."

Lotteries

" Lotergs may operate directly or indirectly by means of accreditation and authorization or concession, without prejudice to other types of lotteries to be created, conventional lottery (lottery), instant lottery and online/ real time lottery."

Source: GMB / GaúchaZH