Gambling in Brazil before the ban

1) Chronology "before"

1892: jogo do bicho (literally "game of beasts") is born in Rio. Baron Drumond came up with the idea of ​ ​ a daytime "animal" lottery at the Vila Isabel Zoo; very quickly the game took to the streets and gained mass character (in 1895 it was banned, but she continued to live in the shadows).

1934: Under President Getulio Vargas, casinos are legalized, the "golden era" of the gambling industry begins: casinos become stages for orchestras, dances and big shows.

1930s-40s: dozens of casinos operate across the country; the press mentions over 70 sites and tens of thousands of jobs in the industry.

30 April 1946: President Eurico Gaspar Dutra signs Decreto-Lei nº 9. 215, which bans casinos and case games nationwide - on moralistic and religious grounds.

2) Icons of the era: where they played and who performed

Cassino da Urca (Rio) - the legendary scene of the era of radio shows and samba; it was here that Carmen Miranda "lit up" before Broadway in 1939. Guests and entertainers from the era include Josephine Baker, Bing Crosby, Orson Welles.

Copacabana Palace Casino (Rio) - a luxury resort center with roulette and tables; in 1946, the last "legal" year, the casino brought colossal turnover (estimated tens of millions of dollars in time prices).

Palácio Quitandinha (Petropolis) - the largest hotel-casino in Latin America at the time of opening (1944); survived only two years - it was closed immediately after the ban of 1946.

What was the "casino night": in addition to roulette, blackjack, baccarat and poker - dinners-dances, pop revues, orchestras of Radio Nacional. Casinos were cultural centers where "high" shows and mass urban leisure were mixed.

3) The economy of the "golden era"

By the early 1940s, the industry had become an important part of the urban economy of coastal centers (Rio, São Paulo, chanson cafes, hotels, taxis, tourism). Modern reviews remind that in the mid-1940s there were 70 + casinos and tens of thousands of employees (large halls provided thousands of jobs each).

4) Why everything was banned in 1946

Decree-Law No. 9. 215 of April 30, 1946 banned the activities of casinos and "chance games" around the country. Motivation - "morality, law and religion"; the ban is still valid for land casinos (its role as a prohibitive act is confirmed in modern legal digests). Consequences - simultaneous closure of halls, loss of jobs, decline in the night and resort economy.

5) Social "subtext": jogo do bicho

Long before the "casino era," jogo do bicho took root in the urban culture of Rio (start - July 3, 1892). The game has become everyday - from newspaper announcements of results to street "points." Despite the ban in 1895, the "bicho" spread throughout the country and continued to influence urban life (connection with football, carnival, street economy). The modern press emphasizes: this is a "long shadow" of Brazilian culture, although the interest of young people in it is already falling.

6) Cultural heritage of the "casino era"

Casinos of the 1930s and 40s became the "incubators" of Brazilian pop culture: revue and radio show formats were polished here, stars like Carmen Miranda made a leap to the international stage, and places like Urca and Copacabana consolidated the "Rio brand" as the capital of Atlantic nightlife. The trace of the era is carefully carried by city museums and archives (MIS-RJ, etc.).

7) What's left "the day" after the ban

Quitandinha closed the casino and quickly became a "regular" hotel/event space.

The Cassino da Urca survived refits and feature changes; its mythology is part of the museum and local history routes of Rio.

Copacabana Palace has retained its hotel status and icon status, but the "tables" are a thing of the past - along with the entire urban economy around them.

8) Short "pre-ban" glossary

Decreto-Lei nº 9. 215/1946 - the act banning casinos and "chance games" (from 30. 04. 1946).

"The Age of Vargas" (1934-1945) - the period of legal casinos and the heyday of stage culture.

Cassino da Urca/Copacabana Palace/Quitandinha - three symbols of the "golden night" of Rio and mountain resorts.

Jogo do bicho (since 1892) is a street "animal lottery" that has become a cultural phenomenon and the subject of constant struggle of the authorities.

Until April 30, 1946, Brazil managed to build its own Vegas Atlantic: legal casinos, luxury shows, international stars and powerful city services around. Dutra's ban cut off this industry overnight - but its cultural memory (music, places, stories) and the "long shadow" of street games like jogo do bicho have survived to this day, determining the conversation about what could be and what the Brazilian gambling market will become in the future.

Relevant for October 11, 2025 (Europe/Kyiv).