Maia is one of the main supporters of the creation of integrated resorts, arguing that it will bring large international investments and job creation. After several meetings in Brazil and the USA with representatives of the Las Vegas Sands group, Rodrigo Maia tried unsuccessfully to convince the leaders of different benches last year to take the vote to legalize casinos only in resort and not the whole gaming sector as Bill PL 442/91 proposed.
In 2018, he defended voting on the proposal with "strong regulation" mechanisms to release casinos in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. The President of the Chamber said that casino regulation is important for the country, as it could generate jobs and raise revenues for governments.
The reelection of Maia added to the public support that has already expressed the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Wilson Witzel, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Marcelo Crivella, the minister of tourism, Marcelo Álvaro Antônio, and the governor of Minas Gerais, Romeu Zema Neto , the initiative to approve casinos at resorts in Brazil as it seems to be the closest step that will take the government of Jair Bolsonaro in reference to the legalization of gaming to generate economic resources for the country.
According to Maia, studies show that the development of casinos integrated with hotels can result in the creation of 250,000 to 300,000 jobs in the country, and result in a collection of up to R$ 25 billion (US$ 5.95b) for governments. He estimates that up to 32 casinos can be built in Brazil, if the project reaches consensus and is approved.
The Maravilha Port region was chosen by Mayor Marcelo Crivella for full resort installation. According to him, besides the money invested and the vacancies generated by the construction of the project, there will also be a complete revitalization of the region. Crivella argues for the creation of a major casino resort in the Port zone and said that Sheldon Adelson, Las Vegas' great casino mogul, has very ambitious plans to build a major gambling and tourism hub, as well: “It would help move the economy and tourism in the city,” the mayor said.
The 1st Solutions Forum for Porto Maravilha is an event that will bring together entrepreneurs to discuss:
- Solutions and Regulations for new business from the public and private sector perspective;
- Entrepreneurial Solutions for Rio’s Port and the sustainability of the creative economy;
- The challenges and solutions of Porto's large enterprises and their economic impacts for the future.
Check out the complete schedule of the 1st Solutions Forum for Porto Maravilha:
Accreditation: 8:30 to 9:00
Table 1: 09:00 to 09:45
How to undertake in the creative economy
Speaker: Héctor Gusmão (Fábrica de Startups)
Mediator: Rafael Ponzi (Entrepreneur Club)
Debaters:
Rafael Barreto (Behring)
Savio Neves (Corcovado Train)
Aline Mendes (Impacto das Cores)
Table 2: 09:50 at 10:35
Port's infrastructure and its future impacts
Speaker: Armando Iazzetta (Odebrecht)
Mediation: Cláuio Carvalho (Fluminense)
Debaters:
Marcio Hannas (VLT-Rio)
Fábio Quintino (State Sec. Of State Gov Housing)
Tarquínio Almeida (CDURP)
Table 3: 10:40 at 11:25
Residential and commercial developments in the port region
Speaker: Marcelo Conde (STX Real Estate Development)
Mediation: Aziz Filho (Porto Journal)
Debaters:
Haaillih Bittar (Tishman Speyer)
Caixa representative
Table 4: 11:30 to 12:30
Rio Tourism, Cultural Industry and Integrated Resort
Speaker: Rodrigo Maia
Mediation: Luís Cláudio Souza Leão (Entrepreneur Club)
Debaters:
Antonio Florencio de Queiroz Junior (President Fecomércio-RJ)
Claudio Castro (Deputy Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro)
Thais Peters (Caixa Vice President)
Source: GMB
