Brazil: “This is the Worst Moment” to Discuss the Legalization of Land-Based Casinos

Brazil – April 16, 2025 – www.zonadeazar.com Senator Jaques Wagner (PT-BA), leader of the Federal Government in the Senate, stated that “this is the worst moment” to discuss the legalization of land-based casinos in Brazil, arguing that there is no “climate” to vote on Bill (PL) No. 2,234/2022.

The senator explained to Poder360 that it is not the right time for the vote “due to the public reaction to the bets [online betting companies].”

“I will ask everyone to oppose it. We will mobilize. Everyone is addicted, just look at what’s happening with the betting companies. Casinos and physical gambling tend to make things worse. Brazil is not a country with a vocation for gambling,” declared Federal Deputy Gilberto Nascimento (PSD-SP), the new president of the Evangelical Front in the National Congress.

The Casino Bill, as it has been called, aims to authorize the operation of casinos and bingo halls in Brazil, as well as “jogo do bicho” (an illegal numbers game) and betting on horse races.

Senator Irajá Abreu (PSD-TO), the bill’s rapporteur, stated that the proposal is ready for a vote and that he is in talks with Senator Davi Alcolumbre (UNIÃO-AP), President of the Senate, to include the bill on the agenda.

Irajá Abreu

In November 2024, during the SBC Summit Latin America, Irajá spoke with Ana Maria Menezes, journalist for SBC Notícias Brasil, about the Casino Bill.

The senator explained how the law would be applied in practice, if approved, highlighting the creation of regulatory bodies and other aspects of the project.

Months later, at the SBC Summit Rio 2025, the senator once again spoke to the portal about the betting industry in Brazil and the country’s future once casinos are legalized.

“And the market, as a whole […], is already digesting this [the industry] more naturally. Because, really, there used to be some prejudice, as if this were a criminal activity or something wrong, and people are now understanding that it’s not — it’s an activity like any other, which needs to be legalized, regulated, supervised, and improved,” stated Irajá.

Edited by: @_fonta – www.zonadeazar.com