For market analysts, the speeches of the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, to tax games of chance have rekindled negotiations in Congress around the bill that regulates casinos, bingos, gambling and other sports betting. Congressmen who are part of the Tourism Front began to defend the matter as a "salvation" for Embratur, which had its budget cut.
The text in progress in the Senate (PL 2234/22) estimates about R$ 20.4 billion in revenue for the public coffers. Of this, R$ 2.4 billion would go to the Brazilian International Tourism Promotion Agency.
The rapporteur of the matter in the House was Congressman Felipe Carreras (PSB-PE), who today chairs the Tourism Front and is close to the president of the House, Congressman Arthur Lira (PP-AL).
Since the beginning of the week, Carreras seeks to articulate the text with the government, especially in conversations with members of the economic team of the Esplanade. This Monday (6) he participates in a meeting at the Ministry of Finance with Haddad.
Last Wednesday (1st), the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, defended taxing the electronic betting market in sports games as a way to compensate for the losses from the new income tax table.
"The minister's speech seems to be a positive sign, which heralds good winds for the long-awaited regulation of sports betting in the country - which will allow us to be aligned with other major countries where this activity is explored, generating economic and social benefits for the country and benefiting the bettors themselves, who may have a regulatory framework that gives them security and protection," says the lawyer and expert in Gaming Law Fabiano Jantalia, founding partner of Jantalia Advogados.
Jantalia notes that Haddad's statement "shows a very important pragmatism so that sensitive and technically complex issues such as sports betting are dealt with in an appropriate and most technical manner - and a non-prejudiced and pragmatic view of the government on the matter. And this is how the issue is treated in other countries," he adds.
For the specialist, Haddad gave an important demonstration of the government's sensitivity "about those that have been pointed out by the industry as the main benefits of this regulation in the last four years.
"The taxation issue is important because it will allow the government to have more resources to finance social programs and other governmental actions, but this opening is also important for allowing the generation of employment and income in the country, propitiating a virtuous circle of growth in this sector," he adds.
In the minister's interview to UOL Portal, however, Haddad pointed out that "electronic games" are not taxed. Is this true? The lawyer and expert in games and eSports Marcelo Mattoso, partner at Barcellos Tucunduva Advogados, explains: "There are two distinct situations: taxation of 'online games' and composition of the loss of income tax because of the new table," he explains.
"On the first point, it is important to clarify that, it seems, the minister was referring with the term 'electronic games' to online sports betting - those approved by Law 13,756/18, but not regulated within the planned four-year deadline, which expired in December 2022 - and not to all kinds of online gaming activity, such as video games and the like," Mattoso says.
"As the minister rightly pointed out, the online gambling market has already become entrenched in society and today, without regulation, the Brazilian State loses hundreds of millions - or even billions - in tax revenue, because all the money from this activity ends up going abroad," adds the expert.
On the issue of the composition of the income tax, the specialist reiterates that there will indeed be "a reduction in tax collection due to the new table - and, with the taxation of bets, the government intends to balance this loss.
Mattoso agrees that the regulation of games would bring benefits that go beyond revenue collection. "The main benefit would be legal security: a well-regulated activity generates stability for the market and attracts investments. With this, revenue grows and this money can be converted into benefits for the country, such as public policies for security, education, transportation, leisure, culture, etc. A well-designed regulation only brings benefits.
For him, the proposal should move quickly. "Infact, we are already late, because the deadline for the regulation to be approved based on Law 13,756/18 expired in December. The market spent four years waiting for a regulation that did not come - four years of lost revenue. It is in the public interest that this regulation comes out as soon as possible."
Source: Games Magazine Brazil.