Brazil’s Justice Minister Wellington Lima said the Ministry is studying new legislative proposals to finance anti-organized crime initiatives after the Chamber of Deputies removed the proposed CIDE-Bets tax from the PL Antifaction bill.
The CIDE-Bets provision, included in the Senate version of the anti-gang legislation, would have imposed a temporary 15% Contribution for Intervention in the Economic Domain (CIDE) on fixed-odds betting operators.
Senator Alessandro Vieira, who introduced the measure, estimated it could generate up to BR30bn annually for the National Public Security Fund.
Following its removal in the Chamber, Lima stated that the Ministry may support a standalone bill focused exclusively on the betting contribution or consider backing other legislative alternatives, though he did not specify details.
“The betting sector is an alternative, and there are many proposals being discussed from other sources. The problem is that each proposed source has to be weighed against the lens of fiscal responsibility,” Lima said.
“We need to give this issue a priority that justifies overcoming certain limits if necessary.”
The withdrawal of the levy has become a focal point in broader debates over betting taxation and public security funding.
Chamber President Hugo Motta has rejected claims that lawmakers sought to shield operators, stating: “We in no way intended to protect the betting sector.”
"From the moment the Ministry received news of the rapporteur's appointment and the proposed text, it sought to make 23 recommendations across five different areas," affirmed Lima.
One key concern, he said, involved clarifying provisions to avoid interpretations that could criminalize social movements.
Brazil’s President Lula previously approved a gradual increase in betting tax rates starting in 2026
