VIE 29 DE MARZO DE 2024 - 08:15hs.
OPINION - GILDO MAZZA, JOURNALIST SPECIALIZED IN GAMING

2018 to be the victory year for the Brazilian gaming sector

(Exclusive GMB) - A new year is beginning and the main question facing the sector is: 'When will gaming be regulated to strengthen government's coffers, generate jobs and get out of hiding'? This is also the question that Games Magazine Brasil asks, because one thing is clear: gaming exists in all corners of Brazil and what is missing is the society to benefit from the activity, as it happens in all countries where it is considered as a serious economic activity.

What is still lacking in Brazil is the courage to face taboos and bring to legality a list of activities that can generate more than US$ 9 billion to the public coffers, investments in security and, to give guarantees of good functioning to the sector, investments also in infrastructure and transportation to give access to all the ones that will visit the integrated resorts with casinos. There will also be more investments in technology, to give more transparency to the sector, and many companies will be open to meet the demand for products and services for the various betting modalities.

Throughout 2017 we have seen the discussions deepen both in Parliament and in the various events that have taken place all over the world and that have put Brazil in the spotlight, as well as in the Brazilian Gaming Congress, which exhaustively debated the activity and the visits of important gambling industry entrepreneurs to the country to show the authorities the benefits of the regulated sector and the willingness they have to invest heavily once passing a law.

Most importantly, the two bills under discussion in the National Congress have matured the opinion of parliamentarians regarding the seriousness of the sector and the vision they have come to have that well-regulated activity can bring wealth to the country.

It is very clear that Brazil needs to re-discuss a series of issues so that the economy can move forward, such as pension reform. Deputies and senators look at the National Congress agenda with one eye on the elections that will take place this year, which may leave some of them with one foot behind to openly advocate passage of a bill for the gaming industry. For this reason, it is important that the sector is united to reinforce to society the benefits of the activity so that the parliamentarians feel more comfortable to say yes at the time of voting in Plenary.

The issue is already on the agenda, both in the Chamber of Deputies and in the Senate. PL 442/91 was approved by the Gaming Commission of the Chamber and is only awaited for Plenary voting, since there is an urgent requirement for the project. In the last sessions of the House, it was expected that the president, Deputy Rodrigo Maia, included the request on the agenda, but this did not happen due to the tightening of the agenda and also by Maia's move to seek more support for the approval of the pension reform.

In the Senate, Senator Ciro Nogueira's PLS 186/14 has already been reported by Senator Benedito de Lira on the Constitution and Justice Commission, and was given a collective hearing and is expected to be voted on at the CCJ in early February and then send to Plenary. Thus, in March the Federal Senate will be able to approve Senator Ciro Nogueira's bill and if this happens before the House vote, it will be forwarded to the Federal Chamber, where PL 442/91 will have to be joined as an amendment. If the House bill is voted first, the order is reversed and PLS 186/14 is to be joined as an amendment.

Gaming is on the table. It remains to be seen who will have the best hand to get approval first so that the final bill has the final decision of the National Congress and proceed to presidential sanction. It is expected that by April the final card has been given, which could guarantee the opening of several bingos in Brazil in the first half of this year and integrated casino resorts in about two years, since they involve billionaire investments and other demands.
 

GILDO MAZZA

Gildo Mazza, journalist specialized in the gaming industry, publisher of Games Magazine since its founding in 1997. He has also collaborated with local editions of the magazine in Italy, Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico and Argentina.