Brazil: Senator claims to have enough votes for approval of the casino and bingo bill

Senator Irajá Silvestre (PSD-TO), rapporteur and main coordinator of the bill to legalize casinos, bingos, and gambling in Brazil (PL 2.234/22), believes that there are already enough votes to approve the matter in the Senate plenary.

"I am convinced and confident that we have enough votes to pass this bill because it is important for Brazil. It is not a duel of the opposition against the situation or of the right against the left. It is an economic and social agenda. Some want to mix this up as a religious issue, and we know it is not a religious issue," assured the senator in an interview with Poder 360.

The speech can be heard in the following video, from minute 20:

Irajá also cited the support of different ministers to the initiative, such as Celso Sabino (Tourism) and Fernando Haddad (Finance), who have made public statements in favor of the legalization of land-based gambling.

In addition, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has already said he will sanction the bill if the senators approve it.

"We did an extremely prudent and conservative bill. So history will tell whether we were right or wrong. And eventually, if this passage is detrimental to the country, we can ban it again. What has happened in the world is that [among] the countries that have legalized gambling, none of them have regretted it," Irajá said.

Bill 2.234/22 was approved by the Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Commission (CCJ) in June, by 14 votes in favor and 12 against. Since then, it has been pending consideration by the full Senate.

The bill is scheduled to be voted on in October, after the municipal elections. The date was agreed upon by Senate leaders, who consider that the matter needs to mature and that the different congressional calendar in August and September, due to the municipal elections, hinders a more in-depth debate.