A crucial vote on the regulation of a federal Brazilian betting market has been postponed by Senators concerned about the inclusion of online casino in the framework.
Introduced by President Lula da Silva in July, the legislation aimed to launch a nationwide betting market with the fiscal rationale of driving up tax revenue. Market launch is unsurprisingly highlighted by the betting industry, but would also pose commercial opportunities for other sports stakeholders.
In the latest round of amendments endorsed by the Senate’s Economic Affairs Committee (CAE), legislators outlined the sponsorship and advertising caveats of the Bill, leaving room for sports clubs to form partnerships with operators.
This had been a contentious issue in earlier legislative stages, with some legislators calling for a clampdown on partnerships. In response, 34 clubs signed a petition calling for a proposed ban on sports sponsorship to be rejected.
Although CAE Senators endorsed a number of proposals allowing forms of sponsorship and marketing involving sports betting, they also backed the inclusion of online casino in the Bill.
Although when launched Bill 3,626/23 focused chiefly on sports betting, the 120 day legislative process saw online casino added in the lower house, the Chamber of Deputies.
This has been endorsed by Senate CAE Rapporteur Angelo Corone as being crucial to the government’s taxation plans, but Senator Romario, President of the Senate Sports Committee, has raised reservations.
The final vote on Wednesday 29 November was meant to be the final legislative stage, and if approved the Bill would return to President Silva for signature. However, with this vote now delayed andif further amendments are made, it could return to the Chamber of Deputies for review.
