Alcolumbre, who previously held the role of senate president between 2019 and 2021, has been a key proponent of gambling in Brazil.As the senate rang in its 2025 legislative session on the weekend, Alcolumbre was sworn in after winning the role by a landslide vote (73 of the 81).
In his role as president of the justice and citizenship committee (CCJ), he helped to progress PL 2,234/2022, a bill that has sought to legalise casinos, bingo, jogo de bicho and betting on horse racing. The bill was approved in June 2024 by a vote of 14-12, although it hasn’t yet been fully approved by the senate thanks to a number of delays.
This new appointment could see land-based legalisation bumped up the list of priorities for the senate, with Alcolumbre back in role.
According to O Globo reports, Alcolumbre has expressed desires to legalise land-based gambling. It follows Brazil’s tourism minister Celso Sabino sharing his belief that the senate will approve land-based casinos in H1 2025.
During the opening of the senate, Hugo Motta was appointed to the role of president of the chamber of deputies after being endorsed by the previous incumbent, gambling advocate Arthur Lira.
Brazil land-based gambling opponent Girão defeated
Another victory for the gambling industry, alongside Alcolumbre’s re-election, is who he beat to the appointment.
Senator Eduardo Girão, who has long been an opponent of gambling in Brazil, received just four votes, one of which came from himself.
In a speech ahead of the vote, Girão criticised Alcolumbre, whom he labelled the “candidate of continuity”, due to his his pro-gambling beliefs.
“The candidate of continuity is in favour of casinos and bingo,” Girão said. “Isn’t the gambling he supported enough and which I warned back then would be a humanitarian social tragedy?
“How can you keep your conscience and look your fellow countryman in the eye, amplifying this tragedy with casinos and bingo, which has already been shown to be a fallacy. This is also to benefit tycoons.”
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/casino/land-based-casino-regulation/brazil-land-based-gambling-senate/
