The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies has this week passed bill 3042/20 which is now waiting for the Senate’s review. The legislative piece, approved under the “Urgent” category, would reallocate 5% of lottery proceeds to the National Health Fund (FNS) during the current state of emergency.
The sale of lottery tickets from Mega-Sena and Quina, Lotería Federal, Lotex draws and betting, all operated by Caixa Econômica Federal, would contribute to the fund.
According to BNL Data, the financial aid would come from the percentage that Ciaxa collects, which is currently directed to the payment of prizes and the Income Tax, and then applied to the prizes.
With this new revenue, the Brazilian government would increase the amount of money states and municipalities receive to invest in the health sector – a timely development given that Brazil is now one of worst affected countries amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bill’s author, Alexandre Frota, assured that “the reinforcement in the FNS budget is a solution to the state of emergency to support the health system, which is overflowed with patients affected by the virus.”
He added: “The law will also prevent the federal government from having to turn to foreign loans to pay for the measures being taken to fight COVID-19.”
In late May, Brazilian Deputy Wilson Santiago introduced bill 2766/20 to establish a sanitary protocol for all active businesses, including lotteries, with the goal of avoiding large crowds at betting facilities.
The project stated that lottery agencies throughout the country will have to comply with access rules as Brazil continues to rank as among those most affected by the pandemic. The bill authorizes agencies to welcome 10 people at a time.
Santiago’s project requires states and municipalities to monitor compliance and sets a $360 fine for those who violate the rules. That money would then be directed to the fund set to fight the virus.
