Brazil is home to more than 210 million people, with around 198 million smartphones in circulation. Nevertheless, there are very few legal outlets for people to gamble. The national lottery and pari-mutuel horse racing are the only legitimate options although the racetracks are allowed to have limited slot machine and table gaming. Additionally, there are widespread unlicensed bingo and slot parlors throughout the land.
Poker is a special case as it’s viewed as a sporting activity. Thus, poker associations are allowed to offer games without violating the strict anti-gambling laws that might otherwise apply.
According to a report by the Brazilian Legal Gaming Institute, citizens of the country spend a whopping R$20 billion ($5.4 billion) per year on illegal gambling. It’s understandable that the authorities would like to capture their share of this lucrative pool of money, both through business taxes on the operators and individual income tax on the winning bettors. In addition, global casino groups have expressed interest in building casino development if the bill passes. This includes Las Vegas Sands, which said that it would be consider investing $8 billion in a casino based in Rio de Janeiro.