Finance Minister Fernando Haddad publicly expressed his support for the approval of Bill No. 2,234/2022, which establishes the legalization of physical casinos and games of chance , such as bingo and jogo do bicho.

Last Tuesday (2), he received a visit from Senator Irajá, who is the rapporteur of the project in the Federal Senate. On that occasion, they discussed possible improvements to the text of the project. After the meeting, Irajá published a video on his Instagram profile alongside the minister.

“I recently met with the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, to discuss the integrated gaming and resorts project, for which I am the rapporteur, which promises to be a game changer for tourism and the Brazilian economy. It was a very productive conversation and Minister Haddad was in favor and confident in the potential of the project,” he wrote.

“As long as it is well disciplined, well done, moralized, with supervision by the Brazilian State and protection for citizens, it is something that can generate employment and income in our country,” he said.

According to the minister, text amendments were suggested to improve the project. “I thank the minister for his suggestions to improve the project and ensure well-structured and safe regulations for our country,” Irajá thanked.

The casino bill was approved by the Senate’s Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ) in June and only awaits consideration in the plenary before being sent for presidential sanction.

The bill’s rapporteur, Senator Irajá, is working with political partners to try to get the vote to take place before July 18 , when the parliamentary recess begins. Opposition politicians, however, want to delay the issue from being put on the agenda.

Legalization of gambling

Gambling has been prohibited in Brazil since 1946 , under the Law of Criminal Contraventions. The bill approved by the CCJ in June is the result of PL 442/1991, which was approved by the Chamber of Deputies in 2022.

The project allows the installation of casinos in tourist centers or in integrated leisure complexes, such as high-standard hotels (with at least 100 rooms), restaurants, bars and places for meetings and cultural events.

According to the bill, the Ministry of Finance will be responsible for determining the licensing, inspection and authorization procedures for gaming in Brazil. The text also establishes the National Gaming and Betting System (Sinaj), which includes a regulatory agency for the sector.