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REGULATION
population identifying as evangelical in 2022 . It is no surprise , then , that evangelical lawmakers greatly opposed Bill 3,626 / 2023 , the long-awaited law to regulate sports betting and igaming , almost stopping its progress completely .
“ The most important country that faced [ religious opposition ] was , and will be , Brazil ,” says Felipe Fraga , Brazilian lawyer and gaming expert .
“ The reason is that when we look over the most populated countries , no one has more than 20 % of an evangelical population . Also , the movement of neopentecostalism is very powerful in Brazil and the political connections they have are very strong .”
UNINTENDED EFFECT OF THE BLACK MARKET
As with any regulating market , concerns remain over the presence of black and grey markets in Brazil . For Baungartner , the religious-centred aspect of the evangelical argument might do more harm than good in this respect .
“ They say that [ gambling ] is against their faith and their God which , also , is against it ,” he explains . “ They use it to influence other politicians .
“ Literally , for them it is devil ’ s business . They don ’ t understand that the world changed and it is better to have it regulated instead of having the grey market .”
Fraga – an evangelical himself – agrees , proposing that regulation will safeguard Brazilian citizens .
“ They claim about a social point of view , looking to risks of addiction and how it can affect society , also arguing about money laundering and matchfixing ,” he explains . “ They say that the bill will allow or facilitate bad behaviour and criminal acts , which is completely wrong , since the idea of regulation guarantees for the country itself taxation and societal safety .
“[ Religious ] influence has been growing year by year with the increase of different religion types . Nowadays they even have their own politicians , including forming groups to execute their power and influence ”
Hugo Baungartner , VP of global markets , Aposta Ganha
“ Over the last 82 years , several topics have caused controversy in Brazil and among them is the legalisation of gambling ”
Magnho José , president of the Instituto Brasileiro Jogo Legal
“ It is exactly what the industry is looking for : fair rules for offering modern ways of entertainment .”
Right at the forefront of evangelicalism ’ s strongly held beliefs about gambling is family values , according to José . He notes that at the recent National Conference of Bishops of Brazil ( CNBB ), gambling was slated as bringing “ irreparable moral , social and , particularly , family damage ”.
The following was heard at the event : “ A vote in favour of gambling will , in practice , be a vote of contempt for life , for family and its fundamental values .”
But the dispute goes beyond a moral perspective . Evangelicals and other religious politicians also point to legitimate industry concerns , such as money laundering and tax evasion , which regulation would naturally address .
80 • ISSUE 136 • iGB L ! VE 2024