TLDR
- Brazil marks 80 years since President Dutra banned casinos on April 30, 1946, a decision reportedly influenced by his religious wife and political rivals of Getúlio Vargas
- The ban shut down roughly 70 casinos overnight, leaving 40,000 workers unemployed with no transition period for businesses or employees
- Brazil legalized sports betting in 2018 and online casino gambling in late 2023, collecting nearly BRL 10 billion ($2 billion) in taxes in 2025
- A pending bill could legalize resort casinos, urban casinos, and bingo halls, potentially creating 700,000 jobs and generating BRL 70 billion for the economy
- Las Vegas alone welcomed 38.5 million visitors in 2025, compared to Brazil’s total of 9.3 million foreign tourists in the same period
Eighty years ago today, Brazilian President Eurico Gaspar Dutra signed a decree that shut down every casino in the country. The decision, made on April 30, 1946, ended what many called a golden age of gambling in Brazil.
The closure came through Decree-Law No. 9215. It cited moral, legal, and religious traditions as the basis for banning gambling across the nation.
Dutra was reportedly influenced by his wife, Dona Carmela, a deeply religious woman known as “Dona Santinha” or “Mrs. Holy.” His justice minister, Carlos Luz, also pushed for the ban as part of his campaign to become governor of Minas Gerais. Luz lost that election anyway.
The move was also political. Dutra’s predecessor, Getúlio Vargas, was a regular casino-goer. Vargas’s brother, Benjamim, was said to own casinos in Rio de Janeiro through a front man named Joaquim Rolla.
A Ban That Took Effect Overnight
The decree gave no transition period. It took effect the day it was published, catching casino owners, employees, and performers completely off guard.
At the time, Brazil had roughly 70 casinos employing around 40,000 workers. All of them lost their jobs overnight.
The Lambari Casino in Minas Gerais had opened just one day before the ban. Investors were never compensated.
At 11 p.m. on that final night, the director of the Copacabana Palace Casino in Rio de Janeiro announced the last spin of the roulette wheel. The ball landed on black 31.
Newspapers that afternoon sold out quickly. The publication Resistência ran articles defending the thousands of workers suddenly left without income.
Brazil’s most famous casinos included the Cassino da Urca, known for launching the careers of many Brazilian artists, and the Copacabana Palace, where high society gathered for gambling, dining, and international shows.
Decades of Lost Revenue and a Slow Return
For nearly 50 years after the ban, Brazil had almost no legal gambling. In 1994, the Zico Law allowed bingo halls, which operated until 2007. At their peak, nearly a thousand bingo halls were running across the country.
In 2018, under President Michel Temer, Brazil legalized sports betting. Regulations were not finalized until late 2023, when online casino gambling was also permitted. Regulated operations began in early 2025.
Brazil collected nearly BRL 10 billion, about $2 billion, in gambling taxes in 2025. But the industry still faces opposition from evangelical groups and conservative voters.
President Lula has criticized betting shops as part of his reelection strategy aimed at winning over evangelical voters.
Meanwhile, a bill sponsored by Senator Irajá that would legalize resort casinos, urban casinos, bingo halls, and animal-based lotteries has passed the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate Committee on the Constitution and Justice. It is waiting for a full Senate vote.
Senator Angelo Coronel has said full gambling legalization could generate BRL 70 billion for the economy and create 700,000 direct jobs.
Brazil welcomed about 9.3 million foreign tourists in 2025. In comparison, Las Vegas alone drew 38.5 million visitors during the same period.
