Wire SOUTH AMERICA


Brazil - Parliamentary group to oppose bill The Senate Plenary has approved the creation of the “Parliamentary Front for a Brazil without Gambling”. Created by Senator Eduardo Girão, the group formed by both senators and deputies will promote debates and adopt initiatives such as bills that discourage gambling. Eduardo Senator Girão said that legalised gambling will lead to crimes, such as money laundering, tax evasion, and corruption of public officials.


“I visited countries, talked to the academic world, talked to inspection and control institutions inside and outside Brazil, and I was appalled by what is behind it: a very powerful lobby that destroys entire lives and families. Who doesn't know someone who has already lost everything with gambling and ended his own life?” he said. Meanwhile, Senator Jorge Kajuru said research showed that compulsive gamblers were more likely to commit suicide and commit crimes to support their addiction.


“The practice of gambling is a harmful activity both for players and society in general, leading to losses that go far beyond the financial sphere, also affecting people's health, increasing crime and destroying families, so that the institution of the Parliamentary Front for a Brazil without Gambling will contribute to combating the spread of this practice in our country.”


However, long time supporter of opening up the market Senator Angelo Coronel voted against the creation of the group citing economic gains, such as the creation of jobs and increased tax collection that would result in a legalised gambling industry.


“Being against the legalisation of games in Brazil is a setback. We have to face games as an economic activity, so we can no longer give up the legalization of games that are already freely played, both via electronic games and betting on electronic betting platforms. Not R$1 in tax enters Brazil and we can no longer live in this modern world without legaliing gambling in Brazil,” he said


Brazil - Poll on Gambling Bill extended DataSenado, the research institute for the Brazilian Senate, has extended the deadline for a national poll on gambling. The institute had planned to close the poll on April 1, but it has extended the deadline until May 2. The bill asks for opinions on a gambling bill put forward by Senator Roberto Rocha: Bill 2648/2019. The bill would allow casinos in both integrated resorts and outside them.


According to the senator, the bill if passed would generate between R$50bn to R$80bn in revenue and generate 700,000 direct jobs.


The senator also argued that green lighting casinos and other forms of gambling such as legalising the so called “Jogo do Bicho” or “Animal Game” would help fund a recently launched social welfare programme. Municipal governments would also earn extra money with the construction of the new casinos, he said.


P8 WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS


New Slot Bill Passed by Senate


Paraguay has passed a new slot machine regulation bill banning slots outside specially legalised gambling zones, such as casinos and slot parlours.


"Te concessions and permits for the exploitation of electronic games of chance will be granted by the municipalities." Senator Hugo Richer


PARAGUAY LEGISLATION


Te Chamber of Senators of Paraguay has passed a new slot machine regulation bill. Te bill bans slots outside of specially legalised gambling zones such as casinos and slot parlours. Te bill aims to prevent access of minors to slot machines after slots began to appear in small businesses and shops.


Despite some opposition, the bill was approved and will become law. It will have a major impact on how slots are regulated as it will affect the agreement between the Paraguayan Gaming Board (Conajzar) and slot operator iCrop. Crucially, it will also give more authority to local municipal governments over how gambling is regulated.


Senator Hugo Richer emphasised that the new law means that the concessions and permits for the exploitation of electronic games of chance will be granted by the municipalities. Tis goes against Conajzar's decision to delegate its powers to route operator iCrop so that slot machines are permitted to operate in any business in the country.


Te new law will go into effect in the next 90 days but needs the President’s sanction. If


Chile Court overrules Puerto Varas licence decision


Enjoy has won its appeal over the revocation of its casino licence in Puerto Varas. In a unanimous decision in March, the Chilean Gaming Board (SJC) revoked Enjoy’s licence after it failed to meet its obligations to build the approved integral casino project within the term established by law. SJC inspectors verified on the ground that the project had not yet been constructed and submitted its findings to its resolution council on February 2, 2022, which then made its decision .


However, as it was entitled to do under law, Enjoy appealed to the Court of Appeals of Santiago and asked that the derogation of its permit be annulled as it was “unjustified and illegal.” Te Court of Appeals agreed. In the brief presented by the lawyer representing Enjoy, Jorge Barrera, stated that the resolution council has decided to ignore the concurrence of facts that... prove a non-culpable breach in relation to the development of the integral project” by the casino.


According to Barrera, the casino did all it could to develop the project, but the illegal action of the Municipal Works Directorate (DOM) of Puerto Varas made this impossible.


Enjoy was granted the 15 year licence in 2018 but had faced a large number of obstacles in getting work on the project off the ground including failure to obtain planning permission. In June 2021, Enjoy asked the SJC to nullify up to US$12m in guarantees for its Puerto Varas licence. Te company said that it had not waived the operating permit but had faced a number of unforeseen obstacles which had made the opening of the casino within the agreed timeframe impossible.


approved, it would mean the official recognition of irregularities over the agreement between the gaming regulator and the granting of its licence to iCrop.


In addition, it should also help put an end to a long running dispute over how slots are regulated. Conajzar had hired local route operator directly and granted it the power to register, regulate and collect the fees. Te company kept 76 per cent of the business profits in return. Tere are around 23,000 slots now operating in different types of businesses. In July 2021, senators argued that Conajzar’s contract to permit slot machines outside of casinos and slot parlours via its agreement with iCrop had been a way of bypassing local gambling laws and legalising them.


In July last year, the President of the Senate Finance Committee, Esperanza Martínez, announced that reports would be requested from the Prosecutor's Office, Comptroller's Office, Treasury and Conajzar on everything related to the company and its members, as well as background information, in order to clarify the circumstances of how the company was granted a licence.


Argentina


Te government of the province of Buenos Aires is to allow for the use of debit cards in all gambling establishments throughout the province. Resolution 108-CIC-2022 published in the provincial Official Gazette is aimed at preventing money laundering and tax evasion. Te use of debit cards in gaming establishments was banned under the previous administration in 2016 in order to limit gambling related harm. However, the new decree states that the new rules will help protect players. Crucially, it will help the government in identifying those who are using social welfare benefits from gambling as it aims to avoid “the diversion of economic benefits derived from social plans through more effective control in order to contribute to the prevention of gambling.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104