Progression within Brazil’s gambling legislation hit another hurdle after last-minute deliberations led to senators being split over the inclusion of casino games.
Deliberations over the bill went down to the final minutes according to reports, however, warnings over a lack of framework covering online casino led to pushback on the bill’s progress.
Increasing frustrations and uncertainty, Senator Vital do Rêgo did not set a further date to vote on the Bill, leaving the matter to be resolved by Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco, who could not oversee the vote as he was attending the United Nations COP-28 Climate Summit in Dubai.
The status of online casino gaming legislation has been a consistent sticking point holding up the bill and the subsequent launch of a Brazilian betting market. It comes after the negotiations over tax levels for sports betting saw a slight reduction in the tax levels for operators.
A decision from the government saw a reduction from 18% to 12% on licensed operators’ income and from 30% to 15% on player prizes, arguing that lower taxes are needed to attract consumers and businesses to the new federal market.
Furthermore, with the legislation and the industry raising approximately BRL 12bn per year (€2.1bn) in taxes), it has been cited as being vital to President Lula’s economic recovery program.
With today’s vote postponed, Bill 3,626/23 may still be amended by rapporteurs. If it undergoes significant changes to its legislative modalities, the Bill will return to the Chamber of Deputies for further analysis.
CasinoBeats Breakdown: The further delays to the bill will be deeply frustrating to the industry in Brazil, the process has been plagued with hurdles, however, if the framework can be adequate enough to see gaming legislation progressed, could significantly add to the prospects for operators.
Whilst the obstacles seem significant, the vital nature of the bill to the government’s economic plan will see progression becoming a foremost priority for the Lula’s party.
