Since the beginning of the year, the country has offered both online sports betting and casinos, but land-based casinos are still not legalized under current laws – this may be changing
At the turn of the year, Brazil ushered in a new age of regulated gambling, which effectively saw the rollout of interactive sports wagering and online casinos. Yet, the country has stopped short of expanding casinos to the land-based vertical, something that may be changing before long, with a tentative date set for the summer of 2025.
Brazil Seeks to Push Land-Based Casinos Through
The Minister of Tourism Celso Sabino has said that the government is in favor of legalizing land-based casinos as an additional source of revenue and a further effort to counteract the black market for such operations.
In an interview for Mercado and Eventos, a media publication, the minister confirmed that the government is looking to sign a bill into law that would legalize this expansion. In a translated statement, Sabino said:
“The bill that regulates casinos has already been approved in the Chamber and is now in the Senate. Our expectation is that it will be approved and sanctioned by the president by the first semester of 2025.”
Despite the government’s firm stance on gambling, including threats to roll back the entire regulatory framework and do away with whatever progress has been achieved so far should gambling operators fail to maintain their social responsibility commitments, new initiatives are emerging.
The introduction of land-based casinos could have tremendous benefits, “if regulated responsibly,” argues the minister. The sector could further help strengthen the economy by creating jobs and boosting tax windfall, along with larger economic development across Brazil.
Legalizing land-based casinos has been a highly controversial topic in the country and has been met with robust opposition across both chambers. The bill that is being talked up by Sabino failed to make progress in the Senate last year in November.
Brazil Keen to Do Right By Gamblers and Regulation
In the meantime, the government has its hands full when it comes to gambling legalization. The government is particularly trying to counteract some of the bad practices ushered in by legalization, including Brazilians using their welfare checks to gamble.
However, in places such as the Scandinavian countries in Europe, welfare checks are actually allowed to be used on gambling activities, as prohibiting recipients from doing so has been seen as negative to their mental health.
