“A ‘Bet’ must be taxed as a matter of public health, not as a revenue issue for the government. It’s necessary to tax some and ban others. Some should be taxed, and others — those more harmful to health — should even be discussed in terms of prohibition,” said Senator Randolfe Rodrigues.
He cited international examples and defended a stronger tax structure. “In the United States, it’s 50%. In the state of New York, it’s 51%. So, it should be a package of measures, but handled separately,” he argued.
“I think 18% is moderate — I even believe the rate should be higher,” he said, referring to the tax rate established in the Provisional Measure that expired, which proposed raising the current 12% to 18% in direct taxation on the sector.
According to the government leader, the draft being prepared by the Ministry of Finance should separate fiscal measures into two groups: taxation and spending control. “We’re going to separate the measures related to expenses from those related to taxation. I think that’s even more didactic when talking to Brazilians,” said the senator.
“We are adjusting the path. There are proposals already in progress in the House of Representatives, with bills addressing these issues. There’s also the possibility of a government initiative, but the government will insist that banks and betting operators must be taxed,” he emphasized.
“Regarding betting companies, the government is convinced and determined to present all the necessary measures,” he explained.
Randolfe stated that the Finance Ministry should submit the proposals to Congress later this week. “The Ministry will present alternative measures to those rejected here. And I think it’s appropriate that they are clearly separated — what concerns spending cuts, which even the opposition agrees with, and what concerns the taxation of betting operators and billionaires,” he noted.
The proposal is expected to set different tax rates depending on the type of betting operation, with higher rates for modalities considered more harmful to public health, such as casino games and platforms known in Brazil as ‘Tigrinho’.
Source: GMB
