Brazil Casino Bill Odds Improve, Tourism Minister Expects Senate Signoff

Posted on: January 30, 2025, 04:15h. 

Last updated on: January 31, 2025, 09:03h.

Online gambling and sports betting in Brazil went live on Jan. 1, 2025. Land-based casinos might not be too far behind.

Brazil casino resorts gambling
Ipanema Beach with a mosaic sidewalk in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro. Brazil’s casino legislation is expected to advance through the National Congress and bring Las Vegas-style casino resorts to the country. (Image: Shutterstock)

For several years, Brasília lawmakers have been mulling whether to authorize brick-and-mortar casino resorts.

Supporters say such large-scale complexes with slot machines and live dealer table games would provide new reasons for foreigners to spend their vacation days in South America’s largest country. Opponents say legal gambling would be a drain on society and only increase crime and addiction problems.

With President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva supportive of expanding gaming in Brazil, the odds of the National Congress finally getting behind a casino bill have reportedly shortened. Bill No. 2234, legislation to authorize land-based casinos, bingo, parimutuel betting, and lottery-like Jogo de Bicho, passed the Chamber of Deputies in June with a 260-238 vote.

The gaming package, first introduced in 2022, has since stalled in the Federal Senate. That’s expected to soon change.

Brazil Resort Bill 

Speaking last week with Mercado & Eventos, a Brazilian news agency, Brazil’s Tourism Minister Ceslo Sabino expressed optimism that the gaming package will clear the upper chamber of the Congress and move to Lula’s desk for final approval.

The bill regulating casinos has already been approved in the Chamber of Deputies and is in the Senate. We expect it to be approved and sanctioned by the president in the first half of 2025,” Sabino said.

Being the country’s tourism minister, Sabino is a part of Lula’s 37-minister cabinet. Lula returned to power in January 2023. He was previously president of Brazil between 2003 and 2011.

Sabino says a legal, regulated in-person gaming industry would create good-paying jobs, generate new local and federal tax revenue, propel economic development in cities and urban towns, and assist in ridding out underground, illegal gambling enterprises. Costly licensing fees and gaming taxes could help better fund essential services like health care, education, and infrastructure, proponents say.

“We can no longer lose this great opportunity that other competing countries have already understood and is seen to generate jobs, income, and taxes, which will obviously be reversed into benefits for the Brazilian people,” said Sen. Irajá Silvestre Filho.

The casino bill would allow hotels with a minimum of 100 guestrooms that also have restaurants and meeting facilities to pursue casino licenses. Each state and the Federal District would be permitted one casino each, with the exception being Sao Paulo where up to three licenses would be allocated. Gross gaming revenue would be subject to a 17% federal tax.

Brazil Interest

Before he died in January 2021, the late global casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson sought the opportunity to invest in Brazil. The man who founded Las Vegas Sands and is credited for turning Macau into the world’s richest gaming hub made several trips to Brazil while in his 80s.

During a trip to Sao Paulo in 2018, Adelson, then 85 years old, was asked why he continually visited Brazil.

To consider investing in one or more integrated resorts,” Adelson answered. During a trip in 2017, Adelson told then-President Michel Temer that Sands would consider investing $8 billion in a resort development not unlike Marina Bay Sands in Singapore should Brazil welcome his money.

Today, Sands, along with several other global gaming giants, namely MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, FanDuel parent Flutter, and Hard Rock International, are said to be keeping close tabs on Brazil’s gaming push.