The Senate removed from the agenda this Wednesday (4) the project (PL 2234/2022) that provides for the legalization of bingos and casinos, with the exploration of games and betting in the country. After parliamentarians spoke contrary to the urgency requirement to consider the topic considered complex and controversial, the rapporteur of the matter, senator Irajá (PSD-TO), asked that the project not be voted on. 
“I would like to request that this matter be withdrawn from the agenda in response to the request of the vast majority of party leaders and that we can then proceed with the request for information”, said the senator. There is no estimate of the date for the project to be considered again by the Senate.
Arguments
Despite opposing positions, including possible risks to public health and safety, the rapporteur defended the project. “There are those who defend the maintenance of gambling, controlled and dominated by organized crime in the country. And those like me (…) who are supervised by control bodies and who can also collect taxes and punish, eventually, anyone who commits some type of crime or illegality”, argued Irajá.
The president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), considered that there was a consensus that, before being put on the agenda again (only in 2025), parliamentarians need more information from the ministries of Health and Social Development. “It is removed from the agenda and the next Senate board will be responsible for defining the developments in relation to this project”, said Pacheco.
“Out of control”
Senator Flávio Arns (PSB-PR) also considered the issue complex and controversial. He argued that the subject needs to be studied further by the ministries themselves. Arns asked that agencies have more time to provide information to address the issue.
Sérgio Moro (União-PR) acknowledged that he believes in individual freedom for people to decide on their choices. “But we saw, especially in this second half of the year, the lack of control today in betting, in my opinion, largely due to excessively aggressive advertising”, he considered.
Also opposing the vote and the project, Espiridião Amin (PP-SC) considered that the request for information could bring the Senate more conditions to deal with the matter. “The bet became out of control. This is the truth and, therefore, at least the evil has stopped being accomplished today”, he said.
