Would provide revenue in the region of US$9 billion for Renda Cidadã programme
Senator Ângelo Coronel has advocated casino legalization, including slot machines, bingo and casinos games, in integrated resorts to help the federal government finance the payment of benefits in the new program of the transfer of resources to needy families, called Renda Cidadã – the Citizens Income – to help with family poverty caused by COVID-19.
The Brazilian government has been seeking a source of revenue to fund the Citizen Income program, and last week there were proposals made to the Senate, including from Senator Coronel to legalize casinos for this purpose. According to the senator, the legalization will provide revenue in the region of R$ 50 billion (US$9 billion) and up to R$ 80 billion, plus 700,000 direct jobs.
Senator Coronel is the proponent of a new casino legislation bill written by Senator Roberto Rocha, which argues that some of the taxes collected through the gaming system can be used to fund the government’s new social revenue program. Coronel’s idea is to include in the bill, along with casino games, the illegal and ubiquitous Jogo do Bicho, the popular street lottery that has generated billions of dollars in revenue every year since 1946, and is sold in 25 out of 26 states in Brazil.
Senator Coronel’s bill looks like the most comprehensive gaming legal project that will be presented to the Brazilian Senate, where there is a gaming draft bill ready for full voting by the Plenary, presented by Senator Ciro Nogueira a couple of years ago, which also allows the exploitation of online gaming. Nogueira’s project includes the legalization of casinos in Integrated Resorts.
The Renda Cidadã program needs R$20 billion funding as projected in the budget, and the government estimates that some 8 million people would be left without social assistance by the beginning of 2021 without if the program does not come to fruition. The idea of the program is to expand income transfer coverage to families in poverty and extreme poverty, as well as increasing payments in monthly social benefit, and it is precisely because of this argument that Senator Coronel hopes to gain the support of the government.
Senator Coronel’s team aims to be finalizing the proposed bill to legalize casinos in Brazil in early November and then hand over the proposal to the Minister of Economy, Paulo Guedes.
“Paulo Guedes said my idea was bold and was pleasant about it. The only solution to get the money for the budget is this [casino legalization], and as things stand, one should not be afraid to move forward. With R$50 billion we could help more people and get to about R$ 300 (US$53) per person, which is what the government wants,” added Senator Coronel.
