Tourism in Brazil has always underperformed and
casinos in large scale resorts could provide a huge boost to the industry in terms of investment and jobs. A fully regulated gambling industry could create as many as a 600 thousand direct jobs according to some estimates while casinos in integrated resorts could create 500 thousand new jobs.
Parliamentary Front in Defence of Tourism (FRENTUR), Herculano Passos, who wants to see casinos in integrated resorts. Te Brazilian Tourist Board (EMBRATUR), the Ministry of Tourism, and the National Forum of State Secretaries and Directors of Tourism (FORNATUR) have also all been urging lawmakers in the lower house to try to push forward bills that would legalise casino gaming in large scale resorts. Other officials agree. Newly elected Governor of Rio de Janeiro Wilson Witzel has defended the legalisation of casinos in Brazil, while the current mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Marcelo Crivella, has defended the building of a large casino in Rio in order to look for new ways to develop the Downtown Port Zone.
In July, members of the Tourism Committee of Deputies met with the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Rodrigo Maia, to ask him to give priority to projects that seek to encourage the sector and expedite their voting and debate in full. Rodrigo Maia has been a long time supporter of legalising large scale casinos in Brazil in order to improve tourism. Tourism in Brazil has always underperformed and casinos in large scale resorts could provide a huge boost to the industry in terms of investment and jobs. A fully regulated gambling industry could create as many as a 600,000 direct jobs according to
P46 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / MARKET DATA
some estimates while casinos in integrated resorts could create 500,000 new jobs.
TIMETABLE AND THE NEW ADMINISTRATION
So when are we likely to see changes to Brazil’s gambling laws? For now no bill has been timetabled in as the government has had more pressing matters to deal with most notably its pension reform bill. In addition evangelical groups could well block any expansion. However according to some expectations the issue could soon be put before the plenary in the chamber of deputies now that the pension reform bill has finally passed. Pension reform has dogged successive governments for decades.
As predicted Bolsonaro has slowly aligned himself in support of casinos after public coming out against an expansion in the lead up to the election. In April, Bolsonaro for the first time since the election broke his silence on the issue and said that a ruling on whether gambling should be legalised should be in the hands of the Legislature as opposed to the courts. In June, author of gambling bill PLS 186/2014 and President of the of the Progressive Party, Senator Ciro Nogueira, met with Economy Minister Paulo Guedes to request government support for his proposal to legalise gambling in Brazil. It was
the first time that Guedes held a meeting on the issue since Jair Bolsonaro became president. In the almost one-hour meeting, Nogueira outlined data revealing that illegal gambling generates almost R$20bn (US$5.2bn) illegally every year.
In August, Bolsonaro came out in favour of legalising gambling in casinos during a meeting with Deputy Newton Cardoso Jr, president of the Tourism Commission of the Chamber of Deputies. Bolsonaro said that he was in favour of the legalisation of casinos in Brazil, and reasserted his belief that it should be down to each state to set up its own gambling laws.
Despite the rise to power of a number of
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