Senator Warns Legal Casinos Could Fuel Crime In Brazil

Brasília – As Brazil moves closer to a landmark decision on legalising land-based casinos, vocal gambling critic Senator Eduardo Girão is sounding the alarm over what he claims are major risks to public safety and national integrity.

With the Senate expected to vote on Bill PL 2,234/2022 before its July recess, Girão has stepped up his opposition, warning that legal casinos could worsen money laundering and organized crime in the country. “You can read the headlines of O Globo, Estadão and Folha showing that organised crime has never laundered so much money, never made so much profit from the advent of gambling,” Girão said in a recent statement. “And what is the problem in Brazil today? Basically, it is public safety.”

Girão's remarks come as Senate President Davi Alcolumbre reportedly plans to put the long-debated casino bill to a vote in the coming weeks. Should the Senate approve it, the bill would then require final confirmation from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who has shown no signs of opposition.

Brazil launched its regulated online betting market earlier this year, marking a significant shift in the country’s long-standing restrictions on gambling. Supporters of expanding into the land-based sector argue that it would further stimulate economic growth, particularly through tax revenues and job creation.

But Girão rejects those claims, calling the economic arguments “a farce.” “This does not generate jobs,” he said. “PL 2,234/2022 must be rejected, on behalf of the Brazilian people, especially the most vulnerable. This tragedy should not even be put to a vote. It is inhumane, it is insensitive.”

He also criticized what he views as a lack of resistance from Lula’s administration, which he argues should be prioritizing protection for low-income Brazilians. “The Lula government, which claims to protect the less fortunate and the poorest, can fix this mistake of betting by absolutely not allowing any more gambling to take place,” Girão added.

Institutional and Political Resistance

Girão cited support from institutions like the Federal Police and the Financial Activities Control Council (COAF) as evidence that the bill could compromise Brazil’s security infrastructure. Evangelical groups, including the Evangelical Parliamentary Front led by Congressman Gilberto Nascimento, have also pledged to vote against casino legalisation.

Still, political momentum appears to be shifting. Alcolumbre's push to advance the bill suggests that upper house leadership is aligned with the direction taken by the executive branch on gambling liberalisation.
Public Opinion Signals a Shift Despite institutional pushback and moral objections from conservative lawmakers, recent public opinion data suggests many Brazilians are warming to the idea of legal casinos.

According to an April 2025 survey by DataSenado, 60% of Brazilian adults support legalisation of land-based gambling. Among them, 58% believe it would increase government tax revenues, while 44% expect it would create jobs. That support underscores a broader trend toward normalising gambling in Brazil, once one of the most restrictive markets in Latin America.

 

Organised crime has never laundered so much money or made so much profit from gambling. Public safety is at risk.

 

What Comes Next

Whether Girão’s warnings sway Senate votes remains to be seen. If the bill passes and receives presidential approval, Brazil would take a major step toward establishing a fully regulated gambling sector—one that includes both online and physical betting venues.

The Senate is expected to deliberate before breaking for its July recess. Until then, lawmakers are weighing competing visions: one that sees land-based casinos as a gateway to economic development, and another that views them as a threat to national security and public health.