Son of the federal deputy Alcides Mascarenhas Lage, who exercised his mandate between 1951 and 1953, he points out that “the fight for the regulation of gaming comes from the cradle. My father pioneered the presentation of a Bill asking for the return of casinos, even in the 1950s, during the second Getúlio Vargas government," said Lage.
Luiz Carlos Prestes Filho: As an entrepreneur in the tourism sector, what is your opinion on the possibility of the return of casinos in São Lourenço?
Marco Aurélio Lage: This is a moment of important decisions for the country, an aid to the generation of jobs and the rescue of tourism, especially in small towns in the interior, whose economic activity is based on the source of income from tourism. For six months the city of São Lourenço was completely paralyzed following the protocol established by the state government. This pandemic was a disaster, causing the closure of hotels, bars, restaurants, affected stores and even Parque das Águas (water park).
Does the difficult economic situation in the country need urgent regulation of the gaming sector? Thousands of people lost their jobs and the municipality lost income from visitors to this traditional resort. It was a catastrophe never seen before. I met with the new mayor Dr. Lessa and commented on the alternatives that could be taken to save the economy of this tourist city “Cradle of Brazilian tourism”. The most viable solution will be the return of the casinos to promote tourism. It would be like giving oxygen to the patient in the ICU. Only with one difference, the government will not have to make any investment and would solve the social problem, promoting domestic tourism in the traditional instances that still have infrastructure to make this type of entertainment possible, especially for the elderly, who will not have to look other countries. It is now up to the authorities to make patriotic decisions for the benefit of the working and business class.
In addition to casinos and bingos, what activities could legal gaming promote?
Certainly, the city of São Lourenço, together with the activity of recreational gaming, could also attract fairs and congresses, especially because it is located in the axis of the Brazilian GDP Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Belo Horizonte.
So it's time for regulation?
Political will can solve this problem! There are 75 years without definition, preventing our country from generating jobs, tourism development and consequently taxes.
Do we need Resorts Casinos or Urban Casinos?
There is a bill presented by deputy Newton Cardoso Jr. that meets the wishes of this and other tourist cities. We have to diversify. Each city has a different potential. It would be good to regulate all types of gaming activities.
Is there a group of towns in Mina Gerais that could benefit from regulated gambling?
The cities that currently have tourist infrastructure in Minas Gerais to receive casino activities immediately, in my view, are: São Lourenço, Caxambu, Poços de Caldas and Araxá. Other cities need adjustments to exercise this activity in the future.
Las Vegas, in USA, is a tourist city famous for its vibrant nightlife, with 24-hour casinos and other entertainment options. Can corporate gaming management be monitored efficiently and transparently?
Let's be practical ... as far as the rules and regulations are concerned, we can simply copy those existing in countries where casinos have been operating for years, without problems. Example: Macau, in China, copied Las Vegas and did it right because it is working. It is worth mentioning that there will be no government investment, everything will be managed by the private sector. Therefore, I take the opportunity to present a work that was elaborated on the occasion of the beginning of the activities of foreign tourist ships in Brazil. I think the reader can be more informed.
Source: Luiz Carlos Prestes Filho – Executive Diretor of newspaper Tribuna da Imprensa Livre
