According to plans submitted by Arthur Lira Brazil’s President of the Chamber of Deputies–  Bill-442/92  that seeks to implement a federal framework to Brazil’s fragmented gambling laws has been included in this week’s agenda and will be debated today. 

Though the legislative text is fourth on the list, gambling reformists are positive of progress. Felipe Carreras, the Deputy who drafted Bill 442/91, and other representatives of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) hope to address the bill in the morning to put it to a vote in the afternoon, as Games Magazine Brasil reported.

Federal Deputy João Bacelar, who has publicly supported the industry several times, said: “Finally, Brazil will be able to walk alongside other developed countries that have regulated gambling [and see it] as a modern economic activity capable of generating jobs and bringing in taxes. Our country is in desperate need to create jobs and there is no reason for gambling to remain illegal.”

Additionally, Carreras said: “The Chamber is in a unique position and can end once and for all illegal gambling, which brings no benefits to the country. With the approval of a full-scale law, Brazil can take important steps towards development and investments.”

Last week, Carreras updated the project to include several new changes to sports betting, online gambling and jogo de bicho (scratchcards). Furthermore, the regulation also contemplates casino resorts to boost tourism.

The updated document establishes that sports betting will be exploited in a competitive market, but will be limited to one operator for every million inhabitants in each state or federal district where the company is located. Each district with less than a million inhabitants will only have one operator.

This framework states that jurisdictions like São Paulo could have a maximum of 46 legal sports betting sites in operation, whilst smaller regional states such as Tocantins, Acre or Roraima would be limited to one – since their population is less than 1 million inhabitants. This new limitation leads to a maximum of 203 licenses in total that could be granted to operate sports betting in Brazil.