On the other hand, according to Alcolumbre's allies, even though he wants to move forward with the project, an agreement with the parties has not yet been reached and needs to be reached.
The initiative still faces resistance from some opposition parties, such as the bill, and from the evangelical bloc in Congress, which is mobilizing against its approval.
If approved by the Senate without changes in relation to the text that came from the Chamber, the project will be sanctioned or vetoed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The rapporteur for the project is Senator Irajá Abreu (PSD-TO) and the measure has the support of centrist parties, such as the PP and União Brasil. There is also support from part of the government, such as the Ministry of Tourism.
Parliamentarians who are in favor of the project say that the text would help the government by allowing it to increase revenue from regulating gambling.
The text passed through the Chamber in February 2022 and had the personal commitment of the then president of the House, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), for its approval.
It was approved by the Senate's CCJ in June of last year, also with the support of Alcolumbre, who was the committee's chairman at the time.
When it was approved by the CCJ, the bill was endorsed by Senator Rogério Carvalho (PT-SE), who is now the party leader.
The bill regulates casinos integrated into resorts. According to the text, gambling houses may operate on maritime and river vessels, which will follow specific rules. Casinos must demonstrate share capital of at least R$100 million (US$18.2m).
Casino accreditation is valid for thirty years and they must be integrated into leisure complexes, with hotel activities, such as resorts, or on vessels.
The bill also allows bingo to be operated on a permanent basis only in bingo halls or in football stadiums, with occasional bingo games being prohibited, except if held by philanthropic entities.
Source: O Globo
