The deputy's first speech occurred during the vote on the request that tried to remove Provisional Measure (PM) 923/2020 from the agenda. The parliamentarian exhorted that the proposal had the objective of serving a part of society, recalled that the jogo do bicho already moves the economy generating jobs, even during the pandemic, and could still generate many other resources.
“I hope that this House, which is the representation of the Brazilian people, does not legalize a type of gambling just to serve the owners of television stations. We are going to put aside 400 thousand workers of the jogo do bicho! Mrs. and Mr. Deputies, jogo do bicho employs 400,000 people in Brazil, who could be collecting for the INSS, who could have their work papers signed. Many businessmen stopped paying their employees' salaries during the pandemic, but those of the jogo do bicho, no! So, if you legalize, you have to legalize everything! It does not justify legalizing just one kind of game of chance.”
Later in the session, during the debate on the request that asked for PM 923/2020 to be voted article by article, Bacelar spoke again to the deputies. He began his speech by warning that the evangelical bench, traditionally opposed to gaming, was supporting a betting modality when approving the proposal.
“I am in favor of the provisional measure when it comes to legalizing gaming. I am in favor of legalizing the activity. Now, I need to clarify to the Deputies what they are voting for. The evangelical bench needs to know that it is voting for a game of chance. By not legalizing gaming, we are missing out on several opportunities. The biggest loss, by not legalizing gaming in Brazil, is for the citizen. Millions of Brazilians play clandestinely every day, and we are not protecting these citizens,” he said.
The congressman also stated that the country stops collecting millions with online gaming and with Brazilians who travel abroad to play, and asked: “Who cares that gaming in Brazil is in this gray area of illegality? The American President already said that the best detergent for issues (unintelligible) is sunlight. We need to bring gaming to the sunlight. We cannot allow millions and millions of reais in taxes not to be collected. Who will prevent the Brazilian from using online gaming? Only if Brazil closes the Internet, closes its doors to the world network. Brazilians play millions and millions of reais every day in online gaming. It is estimated that 300 thousand Brazilians leave the country every year to play in South American countries.”
Bacelar again cited the jogo do bicho and stated that it should be considered national heritage. “We need to transform the jogo do bicho into national heritage, intangible heritage of Brazil, because if there are three things in this country that are genuinely Brazilian, it is samba, cachaça and joog do bicho. Everyone wants to play, and we are in this hypocrisy, not allowing the Brazilian to have the security of exercising a liberal right, because it is not up to the State to say what I am going to do in my free time. I can play, I can rest, I can read, I can stay in bed lying down doing nothing. It is not for the State to say what I am going to do. Therefore, let’s approve gaming in Brazil, to give more security to the Brazilian citizen.”
“In all developed countries, gaming is released. In all democratic countries, it is allowed. But in this case, Mr. President, it is not justified. The Government is authorizing televisions to make draws with prizes, which are games of chance, and leaving aside a very large job from the regulatory commission, a project that has been underway in this House for 30 years and that we have not decided on,” he added.
Bacelar again poked the evangelical bench citing Minister Damares Alves' statement during the recently released April ministerial meeting that stated that gaming “was a devil's thing.”
“I was wondering if the illustrious Deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante is present or another great and illustrious Deputy and friend, Marco Feliciano, to find out if the evangelical group is going to vote on the legalization of a game of chance. I want to call on the evangelicals who have a seat in this House to answer if Minister Damares's little devil only works for games that are established in Brazilian society, if Minister Damares's little devil will not attack the evangelicals' conscience for voting the legalization of a game of chance.”
Concluding his speech, the President of the Parliamentary Front for the Approval of the Regulatory Framework for Gaming, expressed his support to the draws on radio and TV’s, however he stated that two weights and two measures were being used and that the question of other modalities needs to be ruled in the House.
“Honestly, I am in favor of television draws. I know that this provisional measure by the Government is to serve a certain television network that supports President Bolsonaro, it is for this. It is the ‘take it, here’ of the old politics that Bolsonaro does. But there are two weights and two measures. Brazil wants the legalization gaming. We defend, the Chamber defends its work. President Rodrigo Maia needs to discuss the matter. But is it correct to bring this matter as a provisional measure, without the necessary urgency that a subject of this level requires in the middle of a coronavirus, and evangelicals legalize gaming in Brazil?”, he concluded.
Deputy Bacelar had submitted Amendment 47 to MP 923/2020 asking for the repeal of articles 50 to 58 of Decree-Law No. 3,688 of October 3, 1941 to decriminalize gaming. It was eventually rejected by deputy Fernando Monteiro, rapporteur of the provisional measure.
Source: GMB
