Brazil’s Senate schedules December 7 gambling bill vote

Brazil’s Senate will vote on the country’s new gambling legislation in the first week of December.

Last week, Brazilian senators approved the final language of the 186/2014 legislation that will legalize multiple forms of gambling, including land-based casinos, bingo parlors, the ‘jogo de bicho’ lottery and sports betting, as well as ill-defined forms of “electronic bets.”

On Thursday, Senate President Renan Calheiros said the upper house will cast its final vote on 186/2014 on December 7, thereby ensuring the bill’s fate will be known before the seasonal parliamentary recess begins on December 22, possibly setting Brazilians up for the best Christmas ever, or giving another country a reason to call December 7 ‘a day that will live in infamy.’

Brazil’s lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, was supposed to vote on its rival gambling bill 442/1991 on Wednesday. However, in the kind of luck that has typified Brazil’s gambling liberalization for years now, the session was suspended before any votes were taken when between 50 and 60 demonstrators invaded the chamber.