Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies expects online gambling bill vote in June

Despite the suspension of its sitting president, Brazil could vote on its new gambling bill as early as next month.

The Brazil Gaming Congress 2016 kicked off on Wednesday, and the progress of the country’s long awaited gambling legislation was front and center. Herculano Passos (pictured), a Social Democratic Party member of the Chamber of Deputies, said he expects the final draft of the gambling bill will be delivered next week, with a vote following in June.

As written, the SB 186/2014 legislation would authorize the introduction of up to 35 brick-and-mortar casinos, 1,200 bingo parlors and 600k video bingo terminals, as well as an unspecified number of online sports betting, casino and bingo licenses. A separate bill, PL 442/1991, would repeal the ban on the popular numbers game jogo de bicho aka the ‘animal game’ lottery.

The Congress is being held during the biggest political upheaval the country has witnessed in years. Early Thursday morning, Brazil’s senate voted 55-22 to suspend President Dilma Rousseff ahead of an impeachment trial on charges of corruption. Vice-president Michel Temer will act as interim president while Rousseff’s legal fate is decided.