VIE 29 DE MARZO DE 2024 - 04:08hs.
Pro-game deputies seek to convince

Evangelical bench can define whether casinos return to Brazil

The installation of casinos in Brazil may be in the hands of the evangelical bench. Even a mission to present the business model and try to demystify the negative view of the activity is in the plans. It just hasn't been done yet because of the new coronavirus pandemic. During an interview, Embratur’S president Gilson Machado Neto stated that he awaits a position by the evangelical group on the topic so that it can be placed on the table.

Machado Neto also said that Minas Gerais deputy Newton Cardoso Jr. (MDB), president of the Chamber of Deputies' Tourism Commission, is planning a trip to different casinos so that some parliamentarians can get to know the establishments better.

“We have an evangelical bench that we have to respect. Especially because it needs to know (how casinos work). I think that deputy Newton Cardoso Jr. is organizing a mission with evangelicals to get to know venues, and so that casinos or resorts integrated in the country can finally be put on the table and be approved or disapproved,” said the president of Embratur.

In contact with Aparte, the deputy from Minas Gerais confirmed his intention, which was momentarily frustrated by the pandemic of the new coronavirus. He affirmed that the planning was to take the members of the commission that he chairs and the deputies that have doubts on the subject.

“Our parliamentarians need to demystify the idea that the installation of resorts and casinos is an idea of bringing money laundering, prostitution, addiction, etc. It does not harm any segment of religious activity, contributes to the region through investments, generates jobs and income and, in fact, solves the biggest problem, because gaming already exists. So, whoever is against legalization is in favor of illegal gambling, and illegal gambling does not pay tax. We want that to change,” the deputy explained.

Newton Cardoso Jr. said that the deputies already visit countries like the United States and Portugal, but that the model adopted in Singapore is the best in terms of reference in use, customs and traditions. "It is a mostly Muslim country, which has seen growth from 5 million to 22 million visitors after releasing the license for just one resort," he exemplified.

Faced with the pandemic and the restriction of Brazilians around the world, the deputy expects to have the minimum conditions when reopening the borders to put the plan into practice.

The difficulty of contact between politicians and the electoral year ends up hindering the speed of voting for the Regulatory Framework for Gaming in the country, which has been underway in the Chamber since 1991. Another obstacle, according to the parliamentarian, are “merely ideological and private interests” issues, but which he emphasizes are legitimate and punctual.

He also said he discussed the issue recently with President Jair Bolsonaro, who would have expressed the understanding that liberation should be a matter dealt with by the States instead of by the National Congress, but, for this, the legislative Houses in Brasília would need to endorse the idea.

Source: Lucas Henrique Gomes - O Tempo