Brazil May Legalize Bingo and Casino Resorts if Bill Passes

Brazil may be inching closer to a broader gambling reform as a new proposal heads to the Senate floor. Lawmakers will soon vote on a bill that could legalize casinos, bingo halls, horserace betting, and even the popular yet still outlawed “jogo do bicho.”

Good to know

• Fixed-odds sports betting has been legal in Brazil since January 2024.
• Bingo and jogo do bicho operators would need at least R$10 million in capital.
• Each eligible municipality could license one bingo hall per 150,000 residents.

While online and retail sports betting now operate legally under Ministry of Finance rules, other gambling activities — including slots, table games, and traditional casino formats — remain off-limits. Lotteries are allowed but only under federal and state regulation. Anything outside the fixed-odds category, like online poker or slots, still sits in a grey area without a defined licensing path.

The new bill seeks to change that. If approved, it would authorize permanent bingo halls in cities based on population — one for every 150,000 residents. Videobingo games would also fall under this category. Licenses would last 25 years and could be renewed, but operators would need a minimum investment of R$10 million to qualify.

The same rules would apply to “jogo do bicho,” a street lottery-style game that has been widely played in Brazil for decades but remains officially banned. The proposal would allow one operator per 700,000 residents and apply similar licensing terms.

Horseracing entities would also benefit from the bill, gaining permission to run bingo and videobingo games inside racetracks.

Casino resorts would be introduced gradually, limited to one per state — except for five large ones. São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Amazonas, and Pará could license up to three each, due to their population and tourism scale.

Each casino resort would be required to include a hotel with a minimum of 100 rooms, along with restaurants, entertainment areas, and designated spaces for gambling. The focus would be on encouraging tourism in upscale locations while maintaining regional control over expansion.

The proposal already passed Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies and cleared the Senate’s Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ). Now it moves to the full Senate for a final vote. Whether the bill will pass is still uncertain, given ongoing resistance from several senators who remain opposed to expanding gambling laws.

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