Bingo: Brazil's iconic game

1) Short Story: From "Zico's Law" to Prohibition 2004

In the 1990s and early 2000s, bingo experienced a boom: sports laws ("Lei Zico" 8. 672/1993 and subsequent frameworks) allowed bingo as a source of funding for sports and charity - thousands of halls around the country arose on this base.

Turning point in 2004: the decree-decree (MP) of the federal government actually stopped the work of bingozals; The Supreme Court (STF) upheld the termination of permissive norms and rejected attempts to challenge the measure. Since then, classic offline bingo has been banned in Brazil.

2) What's Allowed Today (2025)

Federal CAIXA lotteries (Mega-Sena, Quina, Lotofácil, etc.) are a legal, state product; they are not bingo and are sold offline and online under the control of Caixa Econômica Federal.

Bingo as a game (halls/online bingo as a separate modality) as of October 11, 2025 is still prohibited by federal law: profile reviews of the law and the regulator's practice confirm the ban.

Separately: from 2023-2025, Brazil regulates fixed-odds betting and "online gaming" (RNG) under Law 14. 790/2023 is a different legal regime, it does not rehabilitate bingo as an independent modality. (Context for reader: Do not confuse "online RNG games" with bingo/lotteries.)

3) Why "bingo is Brazil": the cultural lining

Bingo firmly entered the urban culture of the 1990s: evening draws, charity events, local "house" clubs. Mass and "sociality" made the game a symbol of "folk leisure."

Even after the ban, the word bingo remained in the language and pop culture (fundraising evenings, "home" formats without cash prizes, etc.) - but cash draws outside the CAIXA lotteries remain illegal.

4) Legalisation outlook: What PL 2234/2022 offers

PL 2234/2022 - a comprehensive draft of the "gambling code" that allows casinos, bingozals, jogo do bicho, online games and horse racing; introduces oversight, anti-laundering requirements, a new tax and control architecture.

In June-July 2025, the project reached the Senate agenda: during the discussion, the Senate news service described in detail that bingozals would receive authorization for 25 years (with an extension) and a minimum authorized capital of R $10 million. This is recorded in the Senate materials.

On July 8, 2025, the Senate vote was removed from the agenda (low quorum, faction disagreements). Bottom line: as of the date of this article, the law has not been adopted, the issue has been postponed.

Nevertheless, in 2025, the topic received the support of a number of institutions (including the Federal Police - with a clause on the distribution of part of the proceeds to fight crime), and also demonstrated public support in DataSenado polls. The political pendulum is swinging, but the process is underway.

5) If bingo is legalised: what it might look like (PL text and discussion)

Model of authorizations instead of scattered "licenses": long term (25 + 25 years), strict requirements for capital, compliance, origin of funds.

Supervision and AML: centralized regulator, reporting integration, audit, "know your client," control of cache flows and prohibition of participation of vulnerable categories.

Fiscal framework: individual fees and taxes (including earmarks), linking with regional budgets and social policies - the logic is similar to the CAIXA lottery model, but with private operators. (Summarized by Senate/Industry Analyst).

Localization and economic footprint: jobs, tourism, restoration of the "evening economy" in cities - key arguments of reform supporters (in the industrial press and the positions of PL allies).

6) What is legal to do now (and what cannot)

• Play CAIXA National Lotteries offline/online (official channels).
• Conduct non-monetary "home" bingo evenings (without prizes in money/property).

• Organize cash bingo draws in halls/online without federal admission - this falls under the current prohibitions.
• Disguise bingo as a "lottery" without delegation/CAIXA contract - lottery activities in the country have a special regime.

7) Social pros/cons (why they argue)

For: withdrawal from the shadows, taxes and deductions for sports/social programs, control over responsibility, jobs and the fight against illegal.

Against: fears of addiction, debt, criminal capital; religious and social organizations oppose the rehabilitation of gambling halls.

8) Conclusion: status quo and horizon

Classical bingo remains banned in Brazil; the legal mass product in the "close" category is the federal CAIXA lotteries. In 2025, the window of opportunity for legalization was slightly opened: PL 2234/2022 reached the agenda and contains specifics on bingozals (25 years old, R $10 million, strict supervision), but the vote was postponed, so it is still "on pause." If the project passes, the bingo market will return - already in a new, compliance-strict form, with transparent taxes and social contributions. Until then, any monetary "bingo" outside CAIXA is illegal.

Relevance of information - on October 11, 2025 (Europe/Kyiv).