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Statement by President of Chamber still has repercussions

23/01/2018

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Aprovar primeiro o PLS 186/14, garante ao Senado a palavra final no texto da legalização, evitando assim, a manobra dos deputados ‘Pró-cassinos’

The report by O Estado de São Paulo, which reiterated the desire President of the Chamber of Deputies, Rodrigo Maia (DEM-RJ) to legalize only casinos, isn’t news for defenders of the legalizated the games.

As the subject was raised during Maia’s meeting with members US-Brazil Chamber of Commerce in Washington after a question from Las Vegas Sands representative Andy Abbud, the issue gained international repercussions. Since May last year, after visit of the CEO of Las Vegas Sands, Sheldon Adelson to Brazil, the big US casino operators say they are ready to invest “billions” in casinos in Brazil if there is an “appropriate regulatory environment”.

Casinos Lobby

One of the political tasks defenders of legalization of games, especially the board of the Instituto Jogo Legal (IJL) since Sheldon Adelson’s visit, has been to clarify for senators, deputies, government officials and the game market the true intention of the American businessman proposing the legalization of only a few casinos to the detriment of other modalities of games, foreseen in the two bill that process in National Congress.

In all hearing with Brazilians, the entrepreneur manifested the desire to implant the business model of few resort-casinos similar to Singapore, but style of Latin America. The entrepreneur’s interest would be to import this model, as long as Congress only legalizes casino-resorts and avoids legalization of sports betting, bingo, video bingo, video games, online games and gambling. According to reports of meetings with autorithies in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro, the multibillion dollar promised to invest US $ 8 billion in the country.

Reaction through the Parliamentary Front
The lobby of American casinos was not achieved due to the strong reaction and mobilization of several parliamentarians, who “dirtied the lobby”.
The president of Parliamentary Front for Approval of the Regulatory Framework of the Games in Brazil, Deputy César Halum established a contradiction with the President of Chamber and avoided voting on the ‘dehydrated’ proposal of the other modalities. The strong reaction of representatives of the Frente Pró-Jogo in voting only casinos forced the Pro-casinos deputies retreat the proposal to legalize only the modality defended by the lobby of the Americans.

Focus on the Senate
Proponents of legalization of the games are focused on the PLS 186/14 voting on the Senate Constitution and Justice Commission (CCJ), scheduled for February 21. Once approved by the CCJ, the bill will have to go through the Senate floor. To approve PLS 186/14 first, guarantees the Senate the final word in the text of the legalization, thus avoiding the maneuver the deputies ‘Pro-casinos’.