Although Crivella is the main evangelical name in politics, after all, at least in theory, he is mayor of the 2nd largest city in the country, his colleagues in the Chamber do not get excited about the casino. Pastor Marco Feliciano (Somos-SP), and one of the leaders of the Evangelical Front, said that the group is totally against the idea and that there is no possibility of negotiation. After all, gambling leads to addiction and destroys a family, he says.
It seems that Feliciano and the other deputies do not know what the release of gaming can bring to Rio de Janeiro, only the city’s tourism could inject R$ 27 billion (US$ 6.5bn)per year. For comparison, Rock in Rio 2019 moved R$ 1.7 billion (408m). And in taxes Brazil could raise R$ 58 billion (US$ 13.9bn).
Deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante (DEM / RJ), in Folha's story, also plays against the state that gives him votes and says that the evangelical deputy who supports the legalization of any type of gambling will have a huge strain on his electorate. He says the Bible would be against ... but there is no excerpt from the holy book for Christians forbidding or allowing gambling. Linked to Pastor Silas Malafaia, he says the casino would open the door for money laundering, a crime for which his leader has already been indicted in 2017.
Folha also shows that not only are the evangelicals against the liberation of the gaming sector, the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) also says that casinos can be instruments for resources from criminal activities to take on the form of legitimate profits and revenues.
It seems that both evangelicals and Catholic bishops believe that there is currently no organized crime or money laundering in Brazil. And that this one would come into existence just because the released of some casinos.
It is also worth remembering that gaming is already released in Brazil, it is only a state monopoly. There is the Sena, Mega Sena, Raspadinhas and horse racing. What is not missing is where to bet, unlike none of them brings a penny of tourists to the city.
Source: GMB / Quintino Gomes Freire - diariodorio.com
