Lawmakers in Brazil may soon decide whether or not to legalise bingo halls, which are widely regarded as a potentially lucrative market for the industry.
There is optimism that the momentum generated by pro-gaming advocates under the outgoing Brazilian President, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, may continue following the election of fellow Workers’ Party member, Dilma Rousseff.
The prospect of legalised gaming could take a step nearer with the news that there now appears to be movement on the issue in congress.
Elaides Biazin of Ortiz Gaming, a leading supplier to the Latin American market, told InterGaming that a bill dealing with the regulation and opening of bingo houses is up for discussion.
"Members who are in favour of legalisation argue that the taxed activity will offer significant resources that could be used for the country’s health sector, which is deficient, and of course for opening the labour market," she said. "As a reference, they cite neighbouring countries where there is legalised bingo with the activity taxed, which profits the very population that has these taxes reverted to social sectors."
The possibility of a legal gaming market in Brazil, with its population of nearly 200 million, could be an important one for the industry. A recent report by Research and Markets revealed that if the country’s US$4.1bn legal lottery market is combined with its illegal slots and bingo activities, gambling revenues would exceed $7bn a year.
"We expect that the new administration coming into office in Brazil in early 2011 will have a favourable opinion of this business," Biazin added.
