Brazil: President Bolsonaro could face criminal charges for not signing decree regulating sports betting

The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has made up his mind: he will not sign the decree that regulates the fixed odds betting market in Brazil.

In light of this, and as explained by the news site Radar Econômico, from Veja magazine, the president could face charges for a liability offense, if he does not sign the decree as provided for in Law 1.079.

The outgoing President has had the document in his hands since mid-July but decided to turn a blind eye until the deadline for signing the decree and a provisional measure providing for the regulation of this market expired last Monday, December 12.

Due to this omission, Bolsonaro may now answer to Justice for the crime of liability against probity in the administration, as provided for in Law 1.079, of 1950.

The ninth article of Chapter V of this law establishes that it is a crime of liability "to omit or fraudulently delay the publication of laws and resolutions of the Legislative Branch or acts of the Executive Branch". And because the bill was approved in Congress, and sanctioned by Michel Temer in 2018, the Ministry of Economy and the Civil House have been working together to regulate the market for the last four years.

Thus, Bolsonaro, by his own decision, decided to violate the law and could therefore be sanctioned.