Will you be able to play casino in SC soon?

Santa Catarina is one of the states that receives the most investment in the real estate sector – so much so that cities like Balneário Camboriú and the capital Florianópolis have seen a tree mega-constructions and ambitious projects of all kinds.

In the same logic, and following a governmental agenda that has gained strength in recent years, it is likely that in the coming years we will see the emergence of a new form of business not only in the state, but possibly throughout Brazil: the creation of land casinos.

It is worth trying to understand how Floripa, Balneário Camboriú and other cities with a strong tourist nature can become one of the gambling paradises in a Brazil where gambling is once again legalized, a possibility that seems increasingly realistic.

game tourism

A constant reality in the USA, even shown in Hollywood movies that deal with Las Vegas, casino culture and the like, are the gaming fairs. In Brazil, the closest there is to this are large online casino companies that offer, for example, online roulette, virtual poker and Blackjack games or slot machines.

Virtual, let's note, because it's the only possibility of legal games in Brazil at the moment. We will deal with this later.

Balneário Camboriú and cities in the region have always been strong in tourism, so much so that the hotel chain continues to gain strength, even at times when the economy seems to want to go into crisis. This, of course, is easy to relate to the potential that remains to be tapped.

In the United States, Macau and Europe, for example, it is very common for casinos and hotels to be basically the same thing, and that is why the potential seen by the industry in a potential legalization of gambling in Brazil turns its eyes to regions such as Santa Catarina.

Legalization – when should it happen?

Brazil is experiencing a very special situation with regard to betting, casinos and the like. Although it was once legal to bet on land-based casinos around here – so much so that there were glamorous casinos that rivaled the Americans in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro – the legislation is very archaic.

In the 1940s, then-President Dutra banned this type of institution from existing in physical spaces in the national territory, and several decades later, in 2003, President Lula banned bingos, the last form of legal bet existing in the country - taking the Lottery out of the market. Box, only allowed.

Because of this, betting companies operating in Brazil can only do so online – which is legal because of the age of the law: it only concerns physical institutions, ie, land-based casinos and bingos; there is nothing about acting on the internet, after all, the internet came long after the law, and that's why Brazilians who are playing online on foreign sites (even if translated into Portuguese and with currency in real) are within the law.

This reality, however, may soon change, because there are several legalization bills running through parliamentary houses. This idea has gained even more strength in recent times due to the Citizen Income project. Feasibility may be under discussion, but it would definitely have a profound impact on Santa Catarina and across the country.