Brazil: House committee fast-tracks bill to increase online betting taxes

Brazil’s Finance and Taxation Committee (CFT) of the Chamber of Deputies approved an urgent request for the bill that raises the tax rate on online betting operators from 12% to 24%. 

The move allows the proposal, central to the Government’s fiscal recovery plan, to bypass other committees and go directly to a floor vote.

According to CFT President Rogério Correia, the urgency request was strategic, given the committee can only nominate two projects per year for fast-track treatment. 

“We’ve gathered 34 signatures from members of all parties, which shows the strength of this debate,” he said.

The bill, authored by deputy Lindbergh Farias and backed by his entire party bench, seeks to amend the law regulating fixed-odds betting. 

It doubles the public share of gross gaming revenue while maintaining 76% for operators’ operational costs and allocating the remaining 24% to Government programs, half to public health and half to other designated social areas.

Farias argued that Brazil’s current 12% rate is far below international standards. “In France, it’s 33%, in Italy 20%. Here, we can go much further,” he said. 

The Government hopes the measure will not only increase public revenues but also help mitigate gambling-related harms, including addiction and debt among vulnerable populations.

Finance Minister Fernando Haddad confirmed that the Government will send two new bills to the Congress, one focusing on increasing revenue through taxation of betting, fintech and high-income earners, and another targeting spending control. 

With urgency granted, the final decision now lies with Chamber president Hugo Motta, who is expected to schedule a floor vote in the coming days.

Mark Sullivan

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