Brazilian Senate rejects urgency for gaming regulation bill
The Brazilian Senate decided to halt the accelerated progress of the bill seeking to legalize and regulate physical gambling in the country. With 36 votes against and 28 in favor, the Plenary rejected granting urgent status to Bill 2,234/2022, which proposes the regulation of casinos, bingo halls, and the traditional jogo do bicho.
The decision means that the initiative will continue its processing under the ordinary procedure, without a defined date for its final vote. The bill, previously approved by the Chamber of Deputies and with a favorable opinion from the Constitution and Justice Commission (CCJ) since June 2024, has been under review in the Senate since 2022.
The text has the support of its rapporteur, Senator Irajá, who has repeatedly defended the regulation of physical gambling as a tool to attract investments, generate formal employment, and increase tax revenue. The proposal establishes a comprehensive regulatory framework that includes licensing criteria, oversight, money laundering prevention, and activity control.
Despite the rejection of the urgent procedure, Irajá himself had expressed his expectation that the bill could reach the Plenary before the end of 2025. However, the voting result delays that scenario and keeps the political decision pending.
Among the main points of the bill is the creation of the Contribution of Intervention in the Economic Domain (Cide-Jogos), with a rate of 17 percent on the gross revenue from gaming operations, in addition to a quarterly oversight fee that varies according to the type of operation. In the case of casinos, the annual fee would reach R$600,000 (about US$110,000) per establishment.
The sectors opposing the initiative, particularly part of the evangelical caucus, argue that the legalization of physical gambling could worsen social problems, such as problem gambling, and facilitate financial crimes. In contrast, supporters of the bill maintain that the lack of regulation keeps the sector informal, limits the State’s control capacity, and deprives the country of significant fiscal revenues.
The debate takes place in a context of strong transformation in the Brazilian gaming and betting market, recently marked by the tightening of the tax framework on online betting. While digital gambling advances under a regulated scheme with higher tax burdens, physical gambling continues to await a legislative definition that allows its formal incorporation into the Brazilian legal system.
For now, the future of Bill 2,234/2022 will depend on the resumption of parliamentary activities after the recess, when the Senate will have to decide whether to resume the debate and move towards a definitive vote.
Tags: Brasil, jogo do bicho, Brazil physical casinos