Will Legalized Gambling Hurt or Help the Brazilian Economy

You make excellent points. Immediately, I thought of what casinos have done to the poor in the United States when they were legalized just about all over the country beginning around 1980. Until then, only Las Vegas had casinos which were as much about entertainment and holiday as anything else, since only those who could afford the plane ticket and hotel rooms were able to visit.
Nowadays casinos are every where, but mostly in working class areas. Their customers are mainly poor to lower middle class people who have become addicted to gambling.
I would expect the same to happen in Brazil.

We had gambling legalized after the regime change in 1994 in South Africa.
Every city or town there has a huge Casino now.

To tell you the truth , it has not made much difference or been a huge social problem except to a very small minority of people with addictive tendencies .
Also I have noticed Brazilians really do not like to bet or lose money , i've noticed they do not participate in poker games where money is bet and react really badly to the idea of losing money through gambling . I don't really think it's such a big deal.

Gambling and money games exists and are illegal. It is quite underground (or not)...in Rio, Carnaval blocks are famously sponsorised by gambling/lottery groups (should I say mafia...?). Everybody know about it and nobody does anything about it (heard about corruption?). FYI, Lottery tickets sold in the street are generally illegal but you can see that in all the country.
I believe some people want to create casinos to extract money games from the illegality, expecting that mafias/gangs will lose an important revenue and leverage on local politician (in Rio again...). I am just affraid in land in other bad hands... I never heard ever in the world that casinos were managed by very honest/transparent groups.

Coming to a major city near you soon?
Brazil Minister of Tourism Defends Proposal to Legalize Gambling | The Rio Times | Brazil News
http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/r … -gambling/

I wonder how much this is going to cost and will there be a new Táx to support it. Just a thought. Enjoy if one has time.

I'm 100% against it. While the government stands to win by making a nice chunk from taxes, as others have mentioned, only the poor and those with gambling addictions stand to lose. Brazil has enough problems - I guarantee you that casinos will only exacerbate them. I'm from a state with Indian reservation casinos, and I once met someone who worked at a casino as a dealer. It's true: the casinos attracted weekenders looking to have some fun, but mostly, the poor and lower classes got sucked in. The dealer told me that people with gambling addictions are worse than drug addicts because they often borrow $ to finance their addictions and cause financial hardship for everyone around them. Like drug addicts, gambling junkies can lose everything: life savings, jobs, homes, family, and friends.

Also, I can totally see Brazilian casinos becoming yet another oulet for corruption and criminal activities such as money laundering....

2 Words "More Taxes". I agree that it is something that is not good for the people and it will just increase the criminality of certain states. Why not create a Amusement Park at least one could have fun. I've seen the devestation of Casino's and the aftermath for the only Winner is the Casino. I mean that's great we have a recession, lack of jobs and cut backs on services of all types and madness in the streets and We really really,really need to gamble.Someone anyone Stop this madness. I hope there is not even chance this will happen.

Actually, Brasil has gambling in the form of consortios and of course our old friend lotteries. With this foundation in place casinos are not far behind.

Gambling is a great backdoor tax system. Money is collected and no service has to be provided except to perpetuate the casinos. A perfect closed loop.

Another great plus the gambler/taxpayer has nothing to say about how the money is used as it is his "fault" if he has lost his mortgage payment.

This is a great incentive even to well meaning politicians, think of how attractive it would be to those politicians looking for a way to cash in? 

It will happen and the current crisis is a perfect pretext.

I find these two articles to be in Humor. This is crazy, yet Stranger things will happen/lol

Folha de S.Paulo - Internacional - En - Business - Government Plans to Create Company to Offer Sports Betting on the Internet - 12/07/2016
http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacio … rnet.shtml
Now here's the Krazy
Folha de S.Paulo - Internacional - En - Brazil - Brazilian Police Arrest Seven People for Match Fixing - 07/07/2016
http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacio … xing.shtml
Good Luck .