Although it was a tight win, Brazilian legislators voted in Bill 442/1191, essentially ending a nearly 80-year ban on gambling in the South American country.
The February 23rd special meeting saw deputies vote 246-202 in favor of making certain forms of gambling legal in Brazil. It has taken nearly 30 years and countless amendments to move this bill from the time it was initially introduced to finally seeing it go through this week.
Gambling variations that will now become legal in Brazil include:
- Casinos
- Online gambling
- Horse racing
- Slot machines
- Bingo
- Jogo de Bicho.
The bill allows casinos to be established in all 26 states, but they will need to be part of an integrated resort. Larger states, such as Sao Paolo, can have three casinos.
Operators will bid for casino licenses, which will be granted to the highest bidders. Operators may apply for up to five licenses in total across the entire country, and may not hold two licenses in the same state.
Each operator must pay a license fee of $120,000 per establishment.
Online casino operators need to pay the same for each domain.
Players will be allowed to enjoy online casino games of chance such as online slots and online roulette.
The government intends blocking unlicensed offshore websites. Gamblers will not be allowed to gamble on credit and will need to pay a 15% tax on any winnings.