With gambling advocate Davi Alcolumbre's re-election as president of the senate on Saturday (1 February), Brazil's chances of land-based gaming got a significant boost.
Alcolumbre, a staunch supporter of gambling in Brazil, has served as president of the Brazilian Senate from 2019 to 2021. With a resounding victory (73 out of 81 votes), Alcolumbre was sworn in when the senators began their 2025 legislative session over the weekend.
He has been instrumental in the advancement of PL 2,234/2022, a law that aims to legalise casinos, bingo, jogo de bicho, and horse racing betting, while serving as president of the justice and citizenship committee (CCJ). Despite a 14-12 vote in June 2024, the law is still pending final approval in the Senate due to several delays.
With Alcolumbre's return to the position, land-based legalisation may be given higher priority by the Senate.
O Globo states that Alcolumbre has stated his intention to legalise gaming in land-based establishments. It comes after Brazil's minister of tourism Celso Sabino expressed his hope that land-based casinos will be approved by the senate in the first half of 2025.
Hugo Motta was nominated to the position of chamber of deputies president during the inauguration of the senate after receiving the support of the outgoing president, gaming supporter Arthur Lira.
Girão, an opponent from Brazil affiliated with land-based gaming, was victorious.
With Alcolumbre's re-election and the appointment of his opponent, the gaming business has scored another triumph.
With only four votes, including his own, Senator Eduardo Girão—a long-time critic of gaming in Brazil—was elected.
Girão criticised Alcolumbre in his address before the voting, calling him the "candidate of continuity" because of his pro-gambling views.
"The continuity candidate supports gambling establishments and lottery games," Girão stated. I foretold that the gambling he encouraged would be a social and humanitarian disaster, and now it's happening.
Adding to this tragedy with already-disproved casino and bingo practices—how can you face your fellow citizens in the eye while still being morally upright? Tycoons stand to gain from this as well.
