Brazil edges closer to casino legalisation despite evangelical opposition
Brazil’s long-awaited push to legalise land-based casinos is finally nearing a Senate vote, according to Senator Irajá Abreu.
Speaking to Poder360, Irajá confirmed that the proposal — Bill PL 2,234/2022 — is “ready, ripe to be discussed and voted on,” despite resistance from powerful evangelical groups and repeated delays.
The bill, initially approved by the Justice and Citizenship Committee in June 2023, has faced several setbacks in reaching the Senate floor. Still, Irajá remains optimistic, suggesting a vote could be called once Senate President Davi Alcolumbre and party leaders agree the timing is right.
Irajá argues the economic benefits of legalising casinos are too significant to ignore. He estimates the measure could generate BRL 22 billion (roughly $3.8 billion) annually in taxes and help double Brazil’s international tourist numbers from six to twelve million per year.
“We are going to revolutionise Brazilian tourism,” he said. “We cannot stand by and watch neighbouring countries like Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile receive so many millions of international tourists, while Brazil cannot, because it does not offer this type of responsible gambling tourism.”
But not everyone is on board. The Evangelical Parliamentary Front, now led by Deputy Gilberto Nascimento, has vowed to fight the bill. “I will ask everyone to be against it,” Nascimento stated.
“We will mobilise. Everyone is addicted [to gambling], just look at what is happening with [online] betting. Casinos and physical games tend to get worse. Brazil is not a country with a vocation for gambling.”
Despite this, Irajá says he’s open to dialogue and willing to adjust the bill’s language to win over sceptics. “I believe in common sense,” he noted, hinting at potential compromises to ensure the bill’s passage.
Still, some lawmakers argue the timing couldn’t be worse. Senator Jacques Wagner of the Workers’ Party said the recent controversies surrounding online betting have made gambling a political hot potato. “There is no climate to vote this semester,” Wagner warned.
As the debate intensifies, the future of casino gaming in Brazil hangs in the balance with promises of economic revival but concerns over gambling addiction.
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