The push to legalize gambling in Brazil faces another delay as Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) signals he is in no rush to bring the bill to the plenary. The legislation, which seeks to legalize casinos, bingo, jogo de bicho, and betting on horseracing, will likely be postponed until after the first round of municipal elections in October.

Prioritizing State Debt and Tax Relief

Allies of Pacheco have confirmed that his immediate priorities are the renegotiation of state debts and compensation for payroll tax relief. These issues were highlighted as top priorities by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) during a recent meeting with the senator. Consequently, the gambling bill, already approved by the Chamber of Deputies, will take a backseat until these fiscal matters are addressed.

The delay is also influenced by significant pressure from the evangelical bench, which has prepared studies to dissuade senators from supporting the legalization of gambling. The evangelical group argues that gambling could increase addiction rates in the country and raise moral concerns. Additionally, the Ministry of Justice has expressed fears that the measure could facilitate money laundering activities.

Despite these concerns, President Lula has shown a favorable stance towards the bill, indicating his readiness to sanction it if passed by the Senate. The bill is supported by both the economic team and the political wing, with long-term projections suggesting that the legalization of gambling could generate up to R$22 billion in revenue for the federal government.

Upcoming Thematic Debate

A thematic debate on the gambling bill is scheduled for Thursday, August 8, chaired by Senator Irajá Abreu. This session aims to address remaining points of contention, including the strengthening of measures to prevent organized crime and money laundering. If the debate results in a decision to proceed, the bill could be voted on the following week. Otherwise, the vote will be deferred to after the municipal elections on October 6.

This delay occurs as Brazil progresses towards launching its regulated sports betting and iGaming market, expected to commence on January 1, 2025. The Ministry of Finance’s Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) has published final regulations clarifying which online games will be allowed and detailing monitoring, inspection, state allocations, responsible gambling, and sanctions.

While some see the postponement of the gambling bill vote as a setback, it underscores Brazil’s legislative bodies’ cautious approach to balancing economic benefits with social responsibility.

Sources:

“Pacheco não tem pressa para pautar PL dos jogos de azar.”, cnnbrasil.com.br, August 7, 2024.

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Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has opted not to veto the proposed amendments to the Gambling Law, which include a ban on gambling advertisements in the media.

President Radev had previously indicated that he was considering the changes to the Gambling Law and was awaiting input from his advisors before making a final decision.

Despite objections from media outlets, gambling operators, sports clubs, and other businesses between the readings, the prohibition on gambling advertisements in the media was approved by a significant majority of deputies during the final session of the 49th National Assembly. Some stakeholders argued that public discussion should precede the adoption of such a significant measure.

The initiative for these amendments came from GERB and DPS and was introduced unexpectedly during the final days of the 49th National Assembly by Yordan Tsonev (DPS) and Temenuzka Petkova (GERB). The bill rapidly moved through the legislative process, passing its first reading in the budget committee and subsequently receiving approval in the plenary session. An extraordinary meeting of the Committee on Budget and Finance was convened to expedite the voting on the amendments before deputies began their pre-election recess.

Controversial Ban on Gambling Ads

The new amendments, which include a total ban on gambling advertisements in the media, have sparked controversy. Various stakeholders have expressed their concerns and objections. Media outlets, gambling operators, sports clubs, and other businesses affected by the law have argued against the ban, suggesting that a public discussion should precede such a significant legislative change. However, despite these objections, the amendments were passed with a substantial majority.

President Radev’s decision not to veto the amendments has finalized the legislative process, bringing about significant changes to the Gambling Law in Bulgaria The new prohibition on gambling advertisements in the media marks a substantial shift in the regulatory landscape for gambling in the country. Despite the objections and calls for public debate, the amendments have been approved and will soon come into effect.

Source: “Bulgarian President Approves Gambling Law Amendments”. European Gaming. May 17, 2024.

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Additional fees that are often used to inflate the price of hotel and resort accommodation are also referred to as junk fees. Every year, millions of Americans planning their vacation are unpleasantly surprised by such fees, some of which are not disclosed until the very last moment, leaving them without any options but to comply and pay extra.

In Las Vegas, junk fees are also popular as resort fees and can significantly increase the final costs for reservations, creating an unpleasant experience for visitors. But thanks to President Joe Biden, junk fees may soon be eliminated.

Recently, the US president visited Sin City as a part of a campaign and voiced his discontent with junk fees on social media. Using X, the popular platform that was previously called Twitter, President Biden wrote: “We’ve made progress, but there is much more work to do to lower costs for American families.” Moreover, he added: “That’s why I’m taking action to bring down the price of insulin, prescription drugs, and energy and eliminating hidden junk fees companies use to rip you off.”

President Biden did not go into detail about the essence of the aforementioned junk fees. However, in a separate post on Monday, he criticized companies for using junk fees to take extra money from the pockets of hard-working citizens. President Biden is yet to confirm how the hidden junk fees would be eliminated.

“When companies sneak hidden junk fees into families’ bills, it can take hundreds of dollars a month out of their pockets and make it harder to make ends meet. That might not matter to the wealthy, but it’s real money to hardworking families—and it’s just plain wrong,“

wrote President Joe Biden on X

The Fight Against Junk Fees Continues

This is not the first time President Biden aimed at eliminating junk fees. Back in September, he once again raised concerns about the deceptive prices that are inflated for consumers with the help of additional, hidden fees. At the time, President Biden vowed that his administration “is working to crack down on those junk fees so you know what you are paying for upfront.”

Elsewhere on a similar matter, three lawsuits filed against casino and resort operators in Atlantic City were consolidated into one. The lawsuits alleged that six casinos in Atlantic City engaged in anticompetitive actions, inflating the hotel room rates in the city.

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Borislav Mihaylov, the controversial president of the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) is being investigated for participation in match-fixing and ties to illegal lottery operators. This is not the first time Mihaylov has been accused of similar dealings.  

The investigation comes soon after a mass protest in Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital and will see the Prosecutor’s Office probe into Mihaylov to see if the allegations are founded in reality. According to the office, multiple recent media reports have claimed that ties exist between the soccer president and foreign black market lottery operators (simply referred to as black lottery).

As mentioned, this is not the first time Mihaylov has made headlines with his alleged relationship with foreign black lottery companies. BIRD.bg, an investigation and data journalism project previously reported that in 2011, Mihaylov celebrated New Year in the company of Tan Seet Eng, a match-fixing specialist from Singapore.  

For reference, Tan Seet Eng, also known as Dan Tan, is a controversial figure who has been involved in multiple match-fixing scandals.

Bulgarian Soccer Fans Are Unhappy with Mihaylov’s Reign

As mentioned, the current investigation comes in the wake of a huge protest on the streets of Sofia that saw many soccer fans express their disgruntlement with Mihaylov. According to multiple fervent fans, Mihaylov’s almost two-decade-long reign as president of the union has led to a steady decline within the Bulgarian soccer sector.

The president’s opponents accused him of turning Bulgaria into a “soccer dwarf” and making a string of bad decisions. The protests exploded around the BFU’s decision to not allow audiences at the European Qualifiers match between Bulgaria and Hungary.

Some claim that Mihaylov’s goal has always been to “hide” the game to avoid on-stadium protests. According to the allegations, this may be further attested by the BFU’s earlier plans to move the game to Plovdiv, another big Bulgarian city.

In a recent speech at The National Assembly, however, Mihaylov claimed that the protests had been caused by paid actors. While the BFU president was unable to back up these claims with facts, he further suggested that the protests may have been sparked by Dimitar Berbatov, his main competitor for the position.

Mihaylov even added that he is proud of the BFU’s recent work, claiming that its recent decisions have managed to “save lives.” He said that he refuses to be turned into a “scapegoat” by his opponents and refused to take responsibility for the damages caused by the recent protests against him.

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US President Joe Biden has reaffirmed his commitment to combating the proliferation of hidden fees, colloquially known as “junk fees,” that often catch consumers off guard when making reservations or purchasing tickets. 

President Biden’s Crusade Against Deceptive Pricing Tactics Gains Momentum

In recent posts on X (Formerly Twitter), President Joe Biden voiced his concerns over these deceptive pricing tactics. He argued that such fees frequently make a stay or event significantly more expensive than initially advertised, leaving consumers feeling misled and frustrated. Amid ongoing concerns about rising inflation affecting everyday expenses, Biden is determined to tackle the issue of misleading online pricing schemes.

The President emphasized the importance of transparency, stating: “Concert tickets are hard enough to get; you shouldn’t have to pay surprise service fees on top of that. My Administration is working to crack down on those junk fees so you know what you are paying for upfront.”

This initiative to address hidden fees in the hospitality and entertainment industries was first introduced by President Biden in October 2022. At that time, he announced his intention to instruct the Federal Trade Commission to develop regulations aimed at curbing unfair and deceptive fees across various sectors.

Despite these efforts, progress on the issue has been slow at the federal level. In July, Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) introduced bipartisan legislation known as the Hotel Fees Transparency Act. The bill aimed to compel hotels and resorts to include resort fees and any additional charges, excluding taxes, in their advertised rates. However, the bill has stalled in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Gaming Industry and Politicians Clash Over Resort Fee Regulations

The gaming industry, represented by the American Gaming Association (AGA), opposes the mandatory inclusion of resort fees in advertised nightly rates, arguing that it would stifle their ability to compete and innovate. Senator Jacky Rosen, a Democrat from Nevada, who also serves on the committee, believes that many casinos and resorts in her state are already transparent in their booking policies.

Nevada’s Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D) and Representative Dina Titus (D) support the idea of transparent pricing but suggest that legislation should focus more on ticket charges rather than regulating casinos and hotels. They emphasized the need to ensure that the administration’s proposals prioritize the elimination of surprise fees rather than punishing establishments that already disclose their fees upfront.

While President Biden’s commitment to addressing junk fees has garnered attention, some critics have questioned whether this issue should be a top priority, given more pressing economic concerns facing the US. Critics argue that with the cost of groceries and other essential items on the rise, the focus on concert ticket fees may appear misplaced.

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Now, the comments of Rhode Island Senate President Dominick Ruggerio have caused another stir in the debate with the man lambasting those who have been calling for restricting smoking on gaming floors.

Blasting Casino Workers for Accepting the Jobs in the First Place

Ruggerio outright criticized casino workers for demanding a stop to smoking, using rather strong language to describe their demands. His remarks came as part of the Rhode Island Report, a weekly podcast hosted by PBS and The Boston Globe.

The debate got quite heated as the topic of indoor smoking came up during the podcast. Essentially, there is a loophole in the state’s laws that exempts casinos from the Public Health and Workplace Safety Act and allows casinos to host smokers on gaming floors.

This has to end, insist those opposing the exemption. However, Ruggerio chose to coach his own words much more firmly saying that those people should just look for other jobs instead. “Now, all of a sudden, there’s a small group who feels that it’s not good for their health,” the lawmaker vituperated on air.

Of course, Ruggerio is misinformed on at least two of the things he said – for starters, the link between ill health and smoking, as well as second-hand smoking, has been very well-established. Ruggerio’s own personal objection to those who call for smoke-free areas does not really change scientific evidence founded in hard facts and not flippancy.

Then again, there is the matter of how many people are actually fed up with smokers. Casino workers are on the front lines, but other guests have been complaining, too. A recent survey ranking the worst hotel services in the United States, for example, cited cigar odor as one of the off-putting reasons why they have given certain properties low reviews.

Ruggerio is supposed to offer balanced opinions as well, and as a lawmaker, he should advocate for people’s well-being. Another argument that a lack of smokers undermines the financial feasibility of casino projects has also been busted by hard data that indicates that companies show no slowdown in their operating results.

No, Ventilation Systems Does Not Protect Against Dangerous Particles

Rhode Island’s Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects chapter, CEASE, has responded to Ruggerio’s comments saying that they were disrespectful, incendiary, and badly informed. “For the Senate President to blame casino workers for “agreeing” to this job is a slap in the face to the hundreds of workers who are the backbone of the casino industry,” an official message stated.

Those supporting Ruggerio’s scurrilous claims have often cited the advancements made in ventilation systems during the pandemic that effectively “negate” the impact of second-hand smoking. This too sounds great, only the claims are not really sustainable.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers actually reached out with an official position to Rhode Island’s lawmakers informing them that such claims were not true and that ventilation systems do not actually remove harmful and toxic particles and certainly not to a level where they would be innocuous to the thousands of people working in Rhode Island’s casinos and experiencing second-hand smoking.

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Wynn Resorts, the global gaming and entertainment company, announced a senior-level appointment on Sunday. The company confirmed it selected president for its multi-billion-dollar integrated resort project in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), called Wynn Al Marjan Island. For the strategic role, the company selected Thomas Schoen, an industry veteran with more than three decades of experience within the hospitality vertical.

Becoming the president of Wynn Al Marjan Island, he will play a key role in overseeing all operational aspects of the resort, the company confirmed. Additionally, considering that the project will mark the debut of the company within the East North Africa (MENA) region, Schoen is expected to contribute in that field as well.

Wynn Al Marjan Island is a multi-billion-dollar integrated resort project that is being developed in collaboration with the company’s local partners RAK Hospitality Holding LLC and Marjan LLC. The resort is expected to deliver unique hotel luxury experiences with its 1,500 hotel rooms, as well as suites and villas. More amenities within the resort will include a gaming area, plenty of dining outlets and additional amenities. The ambitious resort is expected to open at some point in 2027.

Schoen Is Delighted to Join Wynn for the Ambitious Project

Schoen shared his excitement and acknowledged that he is delighted to join Wynn for this strategic, large-scale project. The seasoned hospitality industry veteran added that he feels privileged to play such an important role within the Wynn Al Marjan Island project.

According to Schoen, the new integrated resort will deliver unrivaled experiences for the UAE and at the same time strengthen Wynn’s global position of a leading gaming and hospitality industry provider. Finally, he said: “I look forward to embarking on this exciting journey.”

“I am delighted to lead the operations of Wynn Al Marjan Island and feel privileged to be part of such a significant new chapter for the group.“

Thomas Schoen, president of Wynn Al Marjan Island

Throughout his extensive career, Schoen was a part of different companies within strategic markets in the UK, around Europe, as well as Africa. With more than 30 years of experience within the industry, he is undoubtedly the right choice for Wynn’s new project. As president of the project, Schoen is expected to leverage his wide industry knowledge and help the company break ground in the UAE.

“We’re delighted to welcome Thomas to lead our operating team at this new venture.“

Craig Billings, CEO of Wynn Resorts

Wynn Resorts’ CEO, Craig Billings, was similarly excited to see Schoen join the company. He acknowledged that Wynn Al Marjan Island represents an important project for Wynn and welcomed Schoen to the team. Finally, Billings predicted that Schoen’s experience and dedication will help drive the project forward and deliver unique experiences for guests of the new integrated resort.

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According to a 1947 law, gambling halls and casinos are supposed to be illegal in Mexico. However, hundreds of them exist and former President Vincente Fox was given powers by the courts to authorize licensing in order to create revenues through taxes as well as bolster the tourist trade.

Current president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador made no secret of his anti-gambling stance when he ran for and won the presidency, and has not personally authorized or issued any new licenses since he took office on December 1, 2018. In September of the next year, he re-affirmed his stance against issuing any new licenses in a gesture that was widely seen as an effort to reassure the Catholic church that he was on its side on the issue.

Casino Opposition Increased After Fire

The church and specifically Cardinal Rogelio Cabrera, head of the Mexican Episcopate, strengthened opposition to casino gambling after about 25 gunmen, purportedly members of the Los Zetas drug cartel stormed the Casino Royale in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. The men doused the casino in flammable liquids and lit it on fire trapping over 50 people inside. At least 50 people were killed in the tragedy.

At a recent press conference, the president stated that his government will not only refrain from issuing any new licenses but will also revoke any that may have been granted in the last four years. Mexican presidents are limited to a single six-year term.

At the presser, López Obrador declared he would request a report from the head of the Secretariat for Home Affairs, Adán Augusto López Hernández in order to take control of the current process for issuing licenses.

Prior to leaving office in 2005, the former Secretariat issued more than 750 licenses to gaming parlors across the country.

The president stated in reply to a reporter’s question about licensing and an upcoming casino industry conference: “Casinos should not be opened, we are not giving permission to open casinos. We are not. And I am going to ask the Secretariat for Home Affairs for a report because, if there is a new license, it is canceled, because the instruction is not to deliver any license.”

Licensing Process “Inadequate”?

It’s unclear if López Obrador will follow through on his threat to jerk existing licenses so far into his term. He had earlier asked Olga Sánchez Cordero, a prior Secretary of Home Affairs whether or not licenses issued under the previous administration had been under a lawful process. Obrador has stated in the past the process was “inadequate”.

Some legal scholars have differed on the legislative appendix process used to authorize deviance from earlier laws that specifically outlawed casino operations but in the 2000s many lawmakers were behind efforts to bring casino gambling to major coastal resort hotels. In recent years, some state governors have taken it upon themselves to issue more local licenses.
There is no unified federal framework for casino legislation, anti-money laundering controls, or even a unified tax code across the country. Online gambling is authorized loosely although there are no laws specifically authorizing it.

According to Thompson Reuters Law Guides: “Land-based casinos and online gaming are permitted. In Mexico, there are 36 land-based permit holders that are, or could be, allowed to operate online gaming.”

Source: President says he will revoke all casino licenses granted over the last four years, G3 Newswire, March 20, 2023

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