Brazil's Congress has until March 3rd to decide on Lula's vetoes of the gambling law

Congress will return from recess on February 2 and will have until March 3 to decide whether to maintain or revoke President Lula's vetoes to law 14.790/23 (former bill 3.626/23).

The central issue is the income tax exemption for gamblers who win prizes of up to BRL 2,112 ($430), which was in the text approved by the Chamber and was vetoed by the president.

According to the site Games Magazine Brasil, the Chief of Staff of the Presidency justified the veto of the exemption in a message sent to the President of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG):

Brazil's President Lula da Silva

"The maintenance of §§1 and 3 of Art. 31 of the Sports Betting Bill would result in an Income Tax taxation different from that found in other lottery modalities, thus creating a distinction in tax conduct without a reason to motivate it. In addition, the maintenance of §2 of Art. 31 of the bill would also go against fiscal equality, in the terms of Art. 150, II, of the Federal Constitution, since it would introduce a logic of Income Tax exemption at odds with the ordinary rules existing in the area of the collection of lottery prizes in general, established by Art. 56 of Law no. 11.941, of 2008", the text submitted detailed.

If the vetoes are not voted on within 30 days in a joint session between senators and deputies, the matter will enter the agenda and prevail on the agenda until it is deliberated. To override President Lula's vetoes, the vote of the absolute majority of deputies (the equivalent of 257 parliamentarians) and senators (41) is required.