Luiz Solano is a member of the Academy of Letters and Arts of the Plateau and of the Historical and Geographic Institute of the Federal District. A pioneer in Brasilia, he was dean of journalists at the Planalto Palace and the National Congress. Currently, he covers the day-to-day life of Brasília for various radio stations and websites, following the main events that happen behind the scenes at the Planalto Palace, ministries, the National Congress and other federal agencies based in Brasilia.
Founded on January 29, 1957, in Rio by a group of journalists and writers, Abrajet today has sections in almost all of Brazil, mobilizing around 350 journalists, who work in newspapers, magazines, TVs, radio, portals, websites , blogs and press offices of public agencies or companies in the tourism sector, contributing to the development of the segment in the country.
Gambling was banned in Brazil by Decree-Law 9,215, of April 30, 1946, signed by President Eurico Gaspar Dutra, on the grounds that they are degrading. It is known that Dutra's wife, Carmela Teles Leite Dutra, a devotee of the Catholic Church, had a strong influence on her husband.
The fact is that the legalization of gambling activities has the potential to generate income of R$50 billion a year for the government, money that can be used in the Citizen Income aid program and in Public Security, in addition to generating 700 thousand direct jobs and others 600 thousand indirect.
The Federal Senate is already analyzing a proposal to legalize gambling and is expected to vote the matter in plenary in the first half of 2021. The main project under discussion is that of Senator Ciro Nogueira (PP-PI), Bills 186/2014, which authorizes the exploration of “games of fortune”, online or in person, throughout the national territory.
By the substitute of the licensed senator Benedito de Lira (PP-AL), the regulation contemplates the jogo do bicho, videobingo and video game, bingos, casinos in integrated leisure complexes, sports and non-sports betting and online casinos.
According to the text, the accreditation for the exploration of the game of bingo and video-bingo will have a term of 20 years, renewable for the same period, and will be the responsibility of the states; casinos will be valid for 30 years and may be renewed for successive periods.
President Jair Bolsonaro and Economy Minister Paulo Guedes are hopeful that the project will be approved and become a reality.
The proposal was approved in 2019 by the Special Committee on National Development, which could decide in a final way, but there was a requirement that it be voted on before the Constitution and Justice Commission, where the majority of senators rejected it.
For Senator Benedito de Lira, “it is precisely the legalization of games of fortune that will put an end to clandestine gambling. Making this activity transparent will greatly help to combat money laundering. The legalization will also allow assistance to gambling addicts that in today's hiding places have no way out. If you arrive in São Paulo today you will find many crowded bingo houses. Money laundering exists today because everything is done on the sly.”
For Senator Ciro Nogueira there is a “smoke screen”, as if gambling was no longer a reality: “Brazil today is one of the countries in which the most is played in the world. The clandestine market generates around R$ 20 billion per year.”
Source: Ray Cunha (writer, journalist and new board member of Abrajet / DF)
