Games Magazine Brasil - Since you became an adult, you have been working in the gaming sector. In your experience, what is it like to work in this area? Are labor rights respected?
Monica Guimarães - Yes, I was almost 19 years old and today I am 42. I was one of the managers of the biggest bingo in Latin America, which was Bingo Imperatriz. We had all the benefits, and when I say all is without exaggeration. We had the best union deal, food tickets and all that is entitled. We had monthly parties! The largest audience we have is elderly and it was really great to work there. When it was closed, I believed that what should be done was rigorous oversight. But it was not so, they simply closed us, banished us as if we were bandits. And so we are today. I chose to stay in the business, even if clandestine, because I always hoped we would get legalization. More than ten years have passed, and we are always massacred by the media, the police and taxed as bandits or, at the very least, as misdemeanors.
We are workers. We are employees and all who attend are of legal age, most of them, as I said before, are elderly.
I appreciate justice, so I decided to petition President Jair Messias Bolsonaro to see us with other eyes. I am a mother of a family, I am a working woman as well as thousands who are in this sector, which now leaves us with nothing ... One hour we have work and, suddenly, we don’t, as my last one where they destroyed up to the toilet, the sinks, refrigerators, etc. An absurdity, an exaggeration.
You have headed a petition for legalizing casinos and bingo that already has over 500 signatures. What advantages do you think this regulation will generate?
The advantages of legalizing bingo and casinos are numerous. The first is in relation to tourism in Brazil. In addition to generating more jobs and taxes for the country, the hotel, security, restaurants and taxi drivers also wins. The fan is really big! Not to mention that foreign hotel companies will invest in our country for sure. Imagine in the far northeast, casinos that are luxurious and generating jobs for such a suffering people.
In your petition, you say that "customers want peace and quiet in their fun." How do you think legalization can benefit consumers?
People who play, who like to have fun in places like casino and bingo have as a priority to feel safe. With legalization, this insecurity would end, after all would have the peace to come and go, just as every citizen would also have the right to do what they want with their money.
The machines would be much more played and would have a much better return for gamblers. Regarding the bingo card, the prizes would increase because we would have more public.
You see the loto game. I don't know a person who won a lottery, none! In bingo card, you always see the line, bingo, double bingo, winner.
Apart from the return of fun and glamor, operator would have the right to present in income tax the gain generated by the activity, that today this is not possible. Having the correct supervision, as in Vegas, we could even ban the player through his CPF for cases of ludopathy.
It is a fact that many games of chance are played in Brazil without proper supervision because they are not yet legalized. What problems do casino and bingo lack of regulation generate for those who work in the sector? Do they have labor rights?
If we were legalized, we would have all the benefits we had before. And it is not unwillingness of employers. It is because we do not fit into any law. It would generate taxes and end with the prejudice we suffered in society. Especially teenagers in their 20s, who do not remember the time of legalization and name us bandits, misdemeanors, etc.
Benefits we have none. At the end of the year, if we are working, they give us a Christmas basket. With legalization, everything would change! And for the best for all!
A number of draft laws related to the issue are already running in the House. One of them talks about setting up casinos only in integrated resorts. Do you agree with this market segmentation or do you believe that it would be best to release casino installation inside and outside resorts? Why?
I know of all the projects. What I like most is about the drought in the northeast. As I said, building a Las Vegas in the far northeast would be great! After all, Las Vegas is in the desert. It would end drought and unemployment for those people who suffered so much.
I am in favor of casinos in resorts, but all very well supervised and organized. As if it were in other places with population limit and such.
Because I believe everything has a limit. A bingo around every corner or machines in a bar does not please me. There has to be a limit, and everyone has to have the same ratio. Size, glamor, employment and especially strict supervision.
Apart from the charitable works that already exist. And even today they are performed in hiding and with temporary injunctions.
Source: Exclusive GMB
