GMB - How important is this event and what has it brought back to the gaming industry that works for its legalization?
Luiz Felipe Maia - I think it is very important to have a group like LIDE that brings together such qualified and relevant investors interested in the topic. This shows that it is past time for us to have the regulated industry and that it has an appetite for not only international investors, but also Brazilians. We saw a space full of people interested in the subject, people who have never had any relationship with the gaming industry, which also proves that this audience also sees gambling as part of the entertainment industry and can move a lot of money in Brazil.
Because it is a different audience than the one you usually find in gaming events, what do you think about opening the topic and what impressions did they have of the market?
I was surprised to see this audience open to the subject; without restrictions and prejudice, really looking at it as an interesting entertainment industry and wondering how it really works. I think there is concern for everyone about the legality and importance of having a regulatory framework that is safe, unstable and has adequate taxation.
Among the topics discussed during the debate, which would you highlight and what could be put as the big news presented?
Unfortunately, we now have nothing new to share. The goal was more to give an overview, without giving so much detail because it was an investor audience that has more in numbers and market potential than specifically in regulatory or more detailed issues. I think the interesting thing was to see their opening with the theme, but in the matter of news, unfortunately, we have none.
When do you expect to have news about the legalization process? What would they be?
We are now on hold. We hope that the sports betting law will be amended, that the 186 or 244 bills be put on the agenda, that there will be a broader and more mature discussion about what is the ideal casino model in Brazil. But today the whole industry is on hold.
It was spoken during the debate that there is a dispute between Senate and House to see which House first approves its legalization project. Do you see this dispute too? What does it represent for the activity regulation process?
This dispute takes place from the beginning when the special commission was created in the House of Representatives, which went to the Senate's constitutional law commission, and we were joking at the time that it was a race to know which one would arrive first, and then both got stuck and are ready to be ruled. When it comes to race or dispute, it is because the House that approves the text has the primacy and the last word about it. It is normal for this type of dispute.
With all this scenario, what is your expectation for the gaming market in 2020, considering the startup of LOTEX and sports betting?
I think 2020 will be a busy year when we will see some paradigm breaks with the market opening that we will have with the start of operation of LOTEX, probably the beginning of the operation of sports betting. We’ll begin to see a competitive gambling market in Brazil; and with proper regulation. This is going to be very interesting and it will really show that it is a sector that is safe to operate and capable of generating much benefit for the country.
Source: Exclusive GMB
