Época - Has the agenda of gambling gained traction in the Bolsonaro administration?
Jaques Reolon - Certainly. In 2018, the Temer government released the sports betting, and now they are finalizing the regulation. I believe that in 2020 we will have more progress. There is a bill in the Senate that has been unarchived and could go to the vote soon.
How to get out of Fla x Flu between evangelical bench and businessmen?
It is an extremely superficial discussion. This topic is very focused on President Jair Bolsonaro. And it is a ministerial issue. The Ministry of Economy has to take on this agenda, as so the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Health. It has to take a little out of focus the president, who has a more ideological speech and is easier to pressure and pass it on to the ministers. The analysis would be more technical and in-depth, and the president would be out of the picture. We need more economic activity. Gambling is released in predominantly Catholic countries, such as Italy and Portugal. Mayor Marcelo Crivella is evangelical, but he supports the legalization of the activity. It is a fundraising opportunity.
What are the opportunities and risks of Brazil authorizing casinos?
If casinos are released in resorts, which is the most viable, we will have investments in infrastructure. We will need roads, hospitals, transportation, in addition to building the hotel complexes themselves. This will bring a lot of dynamics to the economy. The most pointed negative points are money laundering, crime and addiction. International laws offer alternatives to these points. It is cashless, that is, less money. Bets do not accept cash. Only by digital means, such as credit card or bank transfer. Casinos are prohibited from funding players. The prizes must also be digital, informed to Coaf, and the players must be registered. It is a controlled environment. As for addiction, the offensive is usually against advertising gambling, and part of the revenue can go to addiction prevention policies. When you bring the activity to legality, violence over disputes over illegal sites decreases.
Is the easiest route to start at the resorts?
Yes. The government has to pay attention to its enforcement capacity. If you release in a wide way, the inspection starts to become precarious. In the beginning, releasing casinos in resorts would generate tourism and economic potential, and facilitate control. Removing games from these big venues would also hurt investment. What is most considered in the projects in Congress is this.
How does it work in other countries?
Brazil is an exception. Gambling is released in 90% of countries. In South America, only Brazil has not legalized. In Europe it is legalized. In the United States, it is authorized in 20 states. We need to be careful not only to have international players here, because a large part of the profits would go abroad. It is also important to centralize enforcement. England has a single body responsible for all the gambling activities in the country.
What would be the collection potential?
Resort casinos would generate at least 700,000 jobs in the country, and revenue from R$ 15 billion (US$ 3.5b) per year. Some studies predict R$ 21 billion (US$ 4.9b). The Brazilian plays a lot when he goes abroad and online. There is no data on online gambling, but the collection would certainly exceed one billion a year. It is difficult to track, because the providers are foreign. In the law of criminal contravention, illegal gambling is also included.
Isn't the resistance to releasing the activity a nonsense for a government that likes to call itself liberal?
Yes. The liberal view says that it is the citizen who decides how he spends his money. The state is secular, and the criteria for decisions must be technical. There are political influences, of course. But the state cannot be tied to the views of religious groups. It cannot be a decision criterion.
Source: Guilherme Amado - Época
