Brazilian Casino Bill Stirs Big Interest, Hotel Chains Wish to Enter Sector

Brazil hopes to further boost its tourism and also establish a steady source of new income via taxes with its future casino market that could feature up to 32 integrated resorts!

This initiative, that began last month with the authorization of official legislation, sparked massive interest among operators – but also the country’s hotel sector, that desires to get their share of the casino cake!

Hotel industry representatives are concerned over the future booming market and have expressed their desire to have casinos built in already established hotels.

Hotels Are Ideal Casino Venues

Representatives of such organizations as Brazilian Association of Hotels, the Brazilian Association of Resorts (ABR), the Brazilian Federation of Lodging and Food and the Forum of Hotel Operators of Brazil have held the meeting of the t Parliamentary Front in Defense of Tourism…

…during which, president of ABR, Alberto Cestrone, said:

“While we understand casinos are important for the generation of employment and taxes, we ask the parliament to consider existing resorts as an ideal space for the installation of casinos. Resorts are a natural product to absorb such a venture. It does not need big investments and still has good gastronomy and structure already ready to make it work.”

How Casinos in Brazil Got Foothold

In February, Democrat politician and state lawmaker, Paulo Azi, introduced a bill that permits construction of integrated casino resorts in each of the country’s 15 states.

According to this legislative piece…

…states with a population of 15 million people or less are allowed to establish one integrated casino resort. States with populations between 15 and 25 million can have two, while the only state allowed to build three casinos is Sao Paolo.

The bill, however, did not gain a of the newly elected Brazilian president, far-right oriented, Jair Bolsonaro…

…who derives crucial political from conservative Christian circles and who, during one of his electoral speeches, said that the idea of casino legalization was nonsense and that they would be used as money-laundering facilities.

He even went on to express his disdain for this movement by saying it would “cause major family chaos.”

Azi’s Internationally-Leaning Dream

What Azi had in mind could not be more opposed to Bolsonaro’s value system:

The Democrat is hoping for the construction of opulent, mega resorts that would bear signature logos of US brands such as Las Vegas Sands or MGM .

Casinos have been outlawed in South America’s largest nation since 1946. Before the legislation was put forward last month it has been hotly debated since at least 2014. Last year saw the first major breakthrough in lifting the ban on games of chances with the legalization of sports betting, both in-person and online.

Source:

“Brazil’s hotel industry wants casinos built in existing resorts”, Matthew Enderby, gamblinginsider.com, March 19, 2019.