Brazil: Senate to Vote on Casino, Bingo, Jogo do Bicho, and Horse Racing Authorization

Brazil – July 8, 2025 www.zonadeazar.com – The bill authorizing the operation of casinos and bingo halls, legalizing “jogo do bicho,” and allowing betting on horse races is among five items on the agenda for the Senate session this Tuesday (8), starting at 2:00 p.m. The Senate may also vote on the appointment of diplomats to serve as Brazil’s ambassadors to Spain, Hungary, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. The nominations have already been reviewed and approved by the Foreign Relations Committee (CRE).

Casinos
Bill PL 2,234/2022, authorizing casinos and bingo operations in Brazil, has been approved by the House of Representatives and by the Senate’s Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ) in June 2024, under the report of Senator Irajá (PSD-TO). The text allows the installation of casinos in tourist hubs or integrated leisure complexes, such as high-standard resorts and hotels with at least 100 rooms, restaurants, bars, and venues for meetings and cultural events.

An amendment by Senator Ângelo Coronel (PSD-BA) specifies that casinos must operate within integrated leisure complexes or vessels dedicated to this purpose, with one casino per state and in the Federal District, except São Paulo (up to three), and Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Amazonas, and Pará (up to two each), due to population or territory size.

Casinos may also operate on maritime vessels (up to ten nationwide) and riverboats with at least 50 rooms, with limits based on river length.

Bingo
Bingo may operate permanently in specific venues, including card, electronic, and video bingo. One bingo house will be allowed per municipality, with larger cities allowed one for every 150,000 residents. They may also operate in stadiums with a capacity of at least 15,000 spectators. Bingo licenses will last 25 years, renewable for the same period, requiring a minimum paid-in capital of R$ 10 million.

“Jogo do Bicho”
One legal entity per 700,000 inhabitants per state and the Federal District may be authorized to operate “jogo do bicho,” with Roraima allowed one operator due to its smaller population. Licenses will last 25 years, renewable for the same period, requiring a minimum paid-in capital of R$ 10 million.

Horse race betting will be operated by turf entities accredited by the Ministry of Agriculture, which may also be authorized to operate bingo and video bingo in the same venue.

Slot Machines
The bill also regulates the rental and mandatory registration of gaming machines and requires periodic audits. Revenues will be split 40% for the leasing company and 60% for the bingo or casino operator.

Outsourcing Outside Fiscal Responsibility Law
The Senate will also consider PLP 141/2024, excluding outsourcing expenses from personnel expenditure limits under the Fiscal Responsibility Law (LRF). This change clarifies that outsourcing contracts for specialized services will not count toward these limits.

International Agreement
The Senate may vote on Brazil’s accession to new International Maritime Organization (IMO) rules, including increasing the Council’s membership from 40 to 52 countries.

Diplomatic Appointments
The Senate will vote on appointments to six Brazilian embassies (Hungary, Spain, Rwanda, Switzerland, Czech Republic, and Haiti), with the nominees already approved by the CRE.

Constitutional Amendments
Two constitutional amendments are up for discussion: PEC 76/2019, creating scientific police forces, and PEC 137/2019, defining education as a “vector of the country’s progress.” Both require approval by three-fifths of Congress in two rounds of voting.

Source: Agência Senado (Reproduction permitted with credit to Agência Senado)
Editor: @_fonta www.zonadeazar.com