The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies has supported the legalization of gambling and the creation of a structured bond of thought as a whole.

The vote was supposed to take place on February 22, but was postponed to February 23. Lawmakers voted 246-202 in favor of Bill 442/1191, which legalizes gambling. This is the first time since 1946 that all gambling was banned worldwide.

Notably, the bill was first introduced to the Legislature more than three decades ago and was amended over the years before it was finally approved on February 23, 2022.

According to the bill, casino, online gambling, horse racing betting, slot machines, bingo game jogo de bicho are legalized. The use of credit cards for gambling will be prohibited and all gambling winnings will be taxed at 15%.

One of Brazil's 26 states is now allowed to accept applications for gambling licensees at regulated casino resorts in São Paulo, which has three casinos, while Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Bahia are allowed to open one each. All other administrative units of the country are allowed to open one protected casino resort.

The licenses will be available through a bidding process, where the highest bidder will receive the license, while no operator can obtain two licenses in the same state or more than five.

The bill includes licensing fees of BRL$600,000 (€106,800/$119,700) for the resort, and online gambling operators will pay a fee for the licensed gaming domain. Bingo game licenses are as high as BRL$20,000 (€3,517/$3,927) per establishment, and operators willing to host jogo de bicho games must pay a quarterly fee of BRL$20,000 ($3,517).

The legislation also allows for the blocking of unlicensed international websites, while the servers of licensed iGaming domains must be located in Brazil.

As part of the legislation, a new regulator, SINAJ, will be created to oversee the industry, while a National Register of Prohibited Players (RENAPRO) will also be created, preventing problem players from casinos and iGaming platforms from self-exclusion.

The bill was brought before the Senate on February 24 and will be passed to President Jair Bolsonaro's desk for final signing into law. The president has the right to veto the bill, even before indicating that he is ready for more. However, the Senate has the power to override a veto if necessary.

Source: https://gamblingindustrynews.com/news/regulation/brazil-votes-legalize-gambling/