Tocantins has become the latest Brazilian state to unveil a bill to launch its own lottery, something that is expected to happen in other states throughout the country in the upcoming months.
After the ruling of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) on September 30, the Union no longer has the monopoly to operate lotteries and each state can benefit from them.
State Deputy Ricardo Ayres has presented a bill to the Legislative Assembly proposing the creation of the Tocantins State Lottery, called “Social Lottery”. According to information shared by Games Magazine Brasil, the state would completely operate and administer the lottery.
Tocantins now joins Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Ceará, Paraíba, Pernambuco and Piauí, where similar projects are in consideration. Rio and Minas Gerais already had their own lotteries, but they were limited by the Union’s monopoly law.
The central state had also developed LOTINS, a state lottery created in 1989, but was later repealed by a 2002 law. Years later, the Union argued that it had the right to operate lotteries at a federal level, leaving states with no options to benefit from them.
Ayres’ legislative project would redirect lottery revenue to priority areas and social development projects.
He said: “With this lottery, we can raise funds to invest in education, science and technology, and many other areas that need financing to promote effective actions for our people.”
Ayres also requested the collaboration of other legislators and the Government for the approval and implementation of this project, adding: “With a state lottery, in addition to promoting public policies, we can also generate more jobs and revenue for Tocantins.”
