The organization presented a comparative table between the advantages of physical casinos and the disadvantages of online games. According to the entity, land-based casinos can generate R$148.4 billion (US$ 26bn) per year in Brazil's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while electronic games would cause Brazil to lose between R$19.5 (US$ 3.4bn) and R$220 billion (US$ 38.5bn) in wealth.
According to information from the confederation, land-based casinos can bring Brazil R$37.3 billion (US$ 6.5bn) in taxes and generate 1 million jobs – with a projection of one establishment per state. Virtual games, on the other hand, cause the country to lose between R$2.1 billion (US$ 365m) and R$14.5 billion (US$ 2.5bn) per year in revenue and do not generate jobs. For the CNC, land-based casinos can develop the North and Northeast regions of the country.
CNC chief economist Felipe Tavares argued that physical casinos bring benefits to the country, since they create jobs, regional development and foster tourism in Brazil. He suggested, for example, casino services in resorts.
In addition, the economist explained that control and governance are easier. “The entire governance aspect regarding money laundering decreases abruptly because the companies are headquartered and operate in Brazil. Physical casinos make control much easier because there is a real regulatory framework,” he said.
The economist suggested that Brazil take inspiration from other international legislation, such as that of the United States.
Barring minors from entering
Regarding the mental health of gamblers and child protection, Tavares argued that physical casinos have greater control, whether due to the need for gamblers to travel or the ban on minors from entering establishments.
Tavares reported that in 2024 alone, Brazilian retail lost R$90 billion (US$ 15.7bn) in revenue and 1.3 million Brazilians defaulted on their payments, with the increase being greater in the income bracket between zero and three minimum wages.
According to the economist, retail is not only losing gross revenue, but is growing less than income – which shows that families are not saving or consuming in retail, but are instead spending on bets.
The lawsuits against the Betting Law were filed by the CNC and Solidariedade. The concerns of the entity and the party are similar: family debt, especially in the most socially and economically vulnerable, and the risk of compulsive behavior among gamblers.
Approved by Congress and sanctioned by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), the Betting Law covers virtual bets, physical bets, real sporting events, online games and virtual online gaming events. The law establishes the criteria for taxation and the rules for the operation of the service. It also defines the distribution of the revenue collected, establishes sanctions and establishes the powers of the Ministry of Finance in the regulation, authorization, monitoring and inspection of the activity.
Source: Valor
