In response to statements by the leader of the Evangelical group in the Chamber of Deputies, Cezinha de Madureira (PSD-SP), that the Betting Games Bill would be vetoed by Bolsonaro, if it passes through the Chamber, the coordinator of the Regulatory Framework for Games in Brazil , deputy Bacelar (Podemos-BA), classified the alleged decision as an electoral and casuist decision.
In his understanding, the evangelical group “will miss the misdemeanor” if the project is not approved.
According to him, Bolsonaro “has nothing to present to his voter” and is “looking for approval” for his re-election. “When he [Bolsonaro] says he’s going to veto the games’ PL, it’s to please a part of his neo-Pentecostal constituency, which is already revolting with him, and which he’s already losing, as a considerable portion of these people are black and poor, a segment of the population with whom he does not even know how to dialogue,” stated the deputy leader of Podemos this Tuesday (14).
For Bacelar, the illegality of gambling in the country is an impediment to collection, inspection and State control over the activity. According to the deputy, who is harmed is the citizen who “has no protection and protection” in the games, in addition to the private initiative. “This is a very rich chain, which could generate jobs, but which today does not return a penny in taxes to the government”, he comments.
According to him, more than R$28 billion are not collected each year in illegal gambling.
In Latin America, only in Brazil and Cuba gambling is prohibited. However, the Internet has democratized access to pages that offer sports betting services, legalized in the country since 2018, but also to illegal gambling houses in the country.
The deputy spoke on more than 450 “off shore” web pages, located in other countries, are accessed in Brazil. “Games are part of the human being’s constitution. There are reports that there were casinos in China even before Christ. So it is not an issue that can remain in the shadows of illegality”, commented the congressman.
In the country, gambling has been banned for over 75 years. “During that time, has the number of players decreased? No. Quite the contrary,” he concluded.
The PL must still be voted on in the Chamber, and according to Cezinha, at least 50 fellow evangelicals must form a quorum against its approval. Bacelar, however, believes that the issue “has already matured”, as there have been discussions in Congress about it since the 1980s.
