The Brazilian Senate was scheduled to vote on a controversial gambling legalization bill recently, but the vote was urgently postponed due to insufficient attendance of senators, and the new voting date has not yet been announced. The bill proposes to relax restrictions on various forms of gambling, including casinos, bingo games, online gambling, horse race betting, and the traditional "jogo do bicho," allowing them to be operated only by local companies in authorized venues.
Although the bill has been approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate Committee on Constitution and Justice, it faced resistance before entering the plenary session for voting, especially from conservative members who warned that the legalization of gambling could foster crime and gambling addiction issues.
Senate President Davi Alcolumbre stated that only 56 members were present on the day, which was not enough to form an effective vote. He emphasized, "Due to serious disagreements and obvious absences, I decided to withdraw this topic from the agenda."
Supporters of the bill, such as Senator Irajá, argue that legalization would help bring the existing gray gambling market under regulation, reducing its potential links with organized crime.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance also called for a unified and strict national tax policy on the gambling industry, aiming to ensure economic benefits while establishing a clear compliance system. This bill aims to end the gambling ban implemented since 1946, but its final fate is still undecided.
