Survey shows broad parliamentary support to raise taxes on betting
A survey released by Quaest on Friday, December 12 revealed that a large majority of the Chamber of Deputies supports an increase in the tax burden on online betting as a tool to help the Government meet its fiscal goals. According to the survey, 90 percent of federal deputies expressed support for raising taxes on the sector, while only 9 percent were against it and 1 percent did not know or did not respond.
The study surveyed 167 of the 513 deputies between October 29 and December 11 and has a margin of error of seven percentage points. The results were also broken down by political and ideological alignment.
Among parliamentarians identified as government supporters, support for the tax increase reaches 100 percent. In the opposition, backing falls to 78 percent, while among independent deputies it stands at 93 percent.
The trend remains when analyzing the ideological variable. All left-wing legislators support the tax hike on the sector, as do 96 percent of center representatives and 80 percent of those on the right.
The survey is published in a context of intense legislative debate, with at least two bills under discussion in Congress proposing to increase taxation on online betting. One of them is the so-called Anti-Faction Bill (PL Antifacción), which introduces the creation of CIDE-Bets, a 15 percent Economic Domain Intervention Contribution on deposits made by bettors, intended to strengthen public security funding.
This bill has already been approved by the Senate and could be addressed this week in the Chamber of Deputies, ahead of the parliamentary recess.
The second bill proposes a progressive increase in the rate on gross gaming revenue, raising it from the current 12 percent to 15 percent in the 2026-2027 period and to 18 percent from 2028 onwards. The initiative has already obtained final approval in the Senate Economic Affairs Committee, with the provision to go directly to Deputies without debate in the plenary.
However, an appeal filed by Senator Carlos Portinho and supported by 18 other legislators requests that the text also be considered by the full Senate, which could delay its submission to the lower house. According to Portinho, the bill needs adjustments and a broader debate to assess whether the proposed increase is sufficient or if it is necessary to deepen the tax burden, following experiences from other countries.
The text, drafted by Senator Renan Calheiros, is considered by the Government as a key tool to compensate for the loss of revenue resulting from the exemption of income tax for those earning up to five minimum wages, thereby contributing to the balance of public accounts.
Tags: Brazil, Brazil betting taxes, online gaming taxes