The Lotería de Rio de Janeiro (LOTERJ), which represents gambling in the Brazilian state, has submitted a request to intervene as an amicus curiae in a case that seeks to end the federal government’s lottery monopoly.
The document was signed by Legal Director of LOTERJ Marcelo Corrêa and LOTERJ lawyer Fernanda Pezzi de Oliveira.
The case, which will be defined by the Brazilian Supreme Court, questions the exclusivity of the national government to operate lotteries. It also seeks the permission for each state to carry out the activity, as reported by Games Magazine Brasil.
In addition, LOTERJ is asking to ‘modernise the public services of state lotteries in accordance with the ‘efficiency principle’.”
In the 29-page request to the Supreme Court, the petitioners explained that as state lotteries belong to each state, they should be managed within their jurisdictions. A positive ruling would allow each state to perceive their own revenues from state lotteries.
“Forcing and/or restricting state lotteries, in order to limit their operations, will result in a lottery monopoly, which is against art. 177 of the 1988 Constitution and contrary to our federation’s system. The Union Federal (in charge of lotteries) cannot carry out what the Constitution doesn’t allow,” they argued.
LOTERJ aims to inform and advise the judge in order to minimise possible errors. This would also allow the association to appeal and present arguments during the trial.
