Brazil’s Finance Minister Fernando Haddad isn’t giving up on land-based gambling regulation, and he’s getting increasingly vocal about lawmakers dragging their feet. During a recent TV interview, he criticised Congress for stalling casino and bingo hall licensing after the Senate postponed its vote back in July.
What’s really bugging Haddad is that online betting already got the regulatory green light in January. He can’t understand why land-based gaming remains stuck in legislative limbo while digital operators are already raking in billions.
Why Haddad Sees This as Backwards
The finance minister called the delay an “inversion of priorities,” arguing that casinos serve completely different purposes than online betting. “I even find it strange that virtual gaming was approved but not land-based gaming,” he said, stressing that “the masses don’t enter casinos.”
His point makes sense when you think about it – casino activity targets specific tourist hubs rather than mass-market players. “The focus is more on tourism, in specific locations, with different attractions,” Haddad explained, positioning land-based gaming as an economic development tool rather than widespread entertainment.
What the Stalled Legislation Actually Means
While lawmakers sit on their hands, Haddad sees Brazil missing out on job creation and tourism growth. “It generates jobs, tourism flows, something Brazil has great potential for and has just broken a record in visitors,” he pointed out during the interview.
Meanwhile, online betting keeps growing at breakneck speed – more than 17.7 million Brazilians placed bets in just the first half of 2025, generating R$17.4 billion ($3.22 billion) for licensed operators. Haddad has even defended raising the online betting tax rate from 12% to 18%, arguing the higher rate better reflects social costs.
How This Shapes Brazil’s Gaming Future
The contrast between online and land-based regulation couldn’t be more obvious, and it’s not lost on industry observers. Online betting’s regulatory success demonstrates what clear rules can achieve for both operators and government revenue, with tax proceeds now funding healthcare due to mass participation concerns.
But Haddad argues casinos operate in a different universe entirely – they’d boost tourism in targeted locations without creating the same widespread social issues that come with mass-market digital gambling.
Brazil just broke tourism records, which makes Haddad’s casino argument even stronger. The country clearly has untapped potential for gambling-driven tourism, though whether Congress will actually listen to his calls remains anyone’s guess since they haven’t even scheduled a new vote date.
