Casino ban in 1946 (Brazil)

Casino ban in 1946

1) What is it about

In the 1930s and 40s, Brazil experienced a "golden age" of casinos: luxurious halls, orchestras, radio shows, revues and the tourist brilliance of Rio de Janeiro. In the spring of 1946, everything was cut short: by decree of the federal government, gambling was prohibited, and the halls were closed in just a few days. That sharp turnaround set the industry's trajectory for decades.

2) Historical background: from brilliance to strict morality

Casinos as a showcase for modernization. In the era of Vargas (1930s - early 1940s) Cassino da Urca, the halls at the Copacabana Palace and other venues became symbols of "night Brazil": roulette, baccarat, "bank," shows and radio concerts.

Changing political climate. After the fall of Estado Nova and in the wake of post-war conservatism, President Euriku Gaspar Dutra (beginning of the mandate - 1946) pursued a course of "moral recovery."

Public morality and church. Catholic circles and some elites saw gambling as a source of "vices" and family problems. The atmosphere of support for prohibitive measures has created a political window for a radical solution.

3) Legal act: what exactly was prohibited

Decree-Law No. 9. 215 (30 April 1946) banned jogos de azar (chance games) nationwide.

The essence of the norm: the cessation of casino and gaming halls; a ban on the organization and exploitation of gambling in commercial form.

What remained legal: Racecourses (sweepstakes as "sport and tradition") and official lotteries, which were seen as funding tools for public needs.

Immediate execution. Police and municipalities were instructed to close the sites; property was described, licenses were canceled.

4) Instant consequences

Closing dozens of casinos in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre and resorts.

A blow to the "night economy." The evening shifts of thousands of workers disappeared: croupiers, musicians, dancers, waiters, taxi drivers, doormen, tailors, decorators.

Transition artists. Stages, orchestras and entertainers migrated to the radio, theater and cabaret, some emigrated; the music industry has adapted to formats without casinos.

Shadow demand migration. Part of the audience went into informal practices (including "jogo do bicho" and underground salons), which has become a chronic problem for law enforcement officers.

5) Cultural slice: the end of the "revue era"

Rio lost his business card. The Cassino da Urca was not only a hall, but also a media venue - its closure symbolically ended the era of glamour on the Guanabara coast.

Legacy in media. Music, costumes, the language of the entertainer and the "radio show" went into cinema and television, retaining the myth of the "night capital," already without roulette and baccarat.

6) Long-term effects and paradoxes

The legal "frame" is narrowed to lotteries and hippodromes. The state lottery (later Caixa products) became the main legitimate channel of the mass game.

The underground has become sustainable. "Bishu" and illegal machines were periodically suppressed, but did not completely disappear, overgrown with networks of intermediaries and street infrastructure.

"Partial liberalisation" periods. In the 1990s, bingo halls appeared (as a mechanism for financing sports/clubs), but scandals and curtailment of the sector followed in the 2000s.

Digital age and sportbetting. Since the 2010s, interest has flared in sports betting through international platforms and in regulating "fixed odds"; the state is building a framework for consumer protection, advertising and KYC/AML step by step.

7) Why the ban has kept the industry "on pause" for so long

Moral legitimation. The 1946 decision relied on strong public consensus and was supported by the rhetoric of protecting family and morals.

Legal inertia. Any attempts to return the casino would require not just a law, but a rethinking of cultural policy and the state's relationship with the gambling business.

Reputational fears. The authorities feared that casinos would return "vices" and crime, especially in large metropolitan areas.

8) Lessons from 1946 for modern politics

1. A clear framework is better than banning "to the shadows." If demand does not disappear, it goes into a gray area with less consumer protection.

2. Responsible play as standard. Age control, limits, self-exclusion, ombudsman - the minimum set of modern policies.

3. Transparent payments and compliance. KYC/AML and understandable dispute channels reduce social costs.

4. Cultural integration without risk romanticization. Music and gastronomy - yes; aggressive gamification is not.

9) Key dates (cheat sheet)

1930s - 1940s: "golden age" of casinos and revues (Rio, São Paulo, resorts).

April 30, 1946: Decree-Law No. 9. 215 - nationwide ban on gambling (casinos).

1960s - 1980s: consolidation of state lotteries, broadcasting of circulations.

1990s → 2000s: bingo surge and decline.

2010s - 2020s: digitalization of demand, a course towards regulating sports betting and strengthening protective mechanisms.

10) The bottom line

The 1946 ban was not just a legal act, but a turning point in Brazil's cultural and economic history. He suddenly closed the doors of shiny halls, transferred thousands of workers to other industries and sent excitement "into the shadows" for years. The modern agenda is no longer about the return of old casinos, but about rational regulation: consumer protection, transparent payments and responsible play. The lesson of 1946 is that stability is achieved not by extremes, but by clear rules followed by all participants.