The Gaming Bill of Law is Approved in the Chamber of Deputies

On 24 February 2022, the Chamber of Deputies approved, by 246 votes to 202, the Bill of Law 442/1991, which legalizes various types of gambling and betting in Brazil.

In short, the proposal authorizes the practice and exploitation in Brazil of:

• Casino games;
• Bingo games;
• Jogo do Bicho (“Animal game”);
• Online games; and
• Horse-race betting.

The text provides for the repeal of articles 50 and 58 of the Criminal Misdemeanors Law (Decree-Law nº 3.688/1941) which prohibit the establishment and exploitation of games of chance in Brazilian territory.

In addition, the Ministry of Economy will be responsible for drafting specific regulations for the exploitation of online games in Brazilian territory. Thus, it is possible that the Ministry of Economy will publish, still in 2022, both the regulatory decree for online games (if the Bill of Law 442/1991 is converted into law) and the regulation of fixed-odds sports betting, as determined by Law nr. 13.756/2018.

Now, the Bill of Law will be sent to the Federal Senate for voting and, if approved, will be sent to the President for approval – and, thus, converted into law.

Bichara e Motta Advogados’ team is closely monitoring the development of the topic and providing legal assistance to those interested in the subject.