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Brazilian Superior Court of Justice (STJ) Justice João Otávio de Noronha has called for the legalization of land-based casinos, arguing the current prohibition sends Brazilian gambling revenue to Monaco, Las Vegas, and other international destinations rather than into the domestic economy.
Comments Made at the Lisbon Forum
Noronha made the remarks during an interview with TV Migalhas at the 14th Lisbon Forum, held in Portugal from June 1 to 3, 2026. He said Brazilians regularly travel to European cities and the United States to gamble in regulated casinos, generating tax revenue and employment abroad. He described the status quo as “a system that turns a blind eye to reality and penalizes the State itself.”
His comments came with a deliberate distinction. Noronha said online betting should not be treated the same way as traditional casino gambling, describing the type of gambling he advocates for as “one that can be controlled.” He stopped short of calling for broader gambling liberalization across all verticals.
The STJ Ruling and the Consistency Argument
Noronha’s Lisbon remarks extended a position he first articulated publicly on May 13, 2025, when the Fourth Panel of the STJ unanimously authorized Brazilian courts to enforce a US$1 million debt incurred at the Wynn casino in Las Vegas. The case centered on Valdemir Garreta, a former campaign strategist for the Workers’ Party (PT), who accumulated a debt of approximately R$5.6 million during a 2015 visit to Las Vegas and later failed to honor a promissory note signed to cover it.
During that ruling, Noronha challenged the regulatory logic underpinning Brazil’s gambling framework:
We have to confront this issue. We can no longer maintain this hypocrisy that gambling is prohibited, but online gaming isn’t. They are authorized, but casinos are not. This is an inconsistency in our legal system.
He repeated and extended the argument in Lisbon:
What is the difference between a casino and betting sites? None. What’s the difference between a casino and a lottery? None. They’re all games of chance. So why is one allowed and the other not?
Brazil’s Regulatory Landscape
Brazil completed its first full year as a regulated sports betting market in 2025, with GGR reaching $7 billion across an estimated 25 million bettors. The market’s rapid growth has triggered intensifying legislative debate, with the Senate advancing proposals on advertising restrictions and graduated tax increases throughout 2025 and into 2026.
Casino gambling remains prohibited under legislation dating to 1946. Land-based casino legalization has circulated as a legislative proposal at various points over the past decade but has not reached a full parliamentary vote. The debate has grown more active as Brazil’s regulated betting market matures and the fiscal case for broader legalization becomes harder to dismiss.
The SPA (Secretaria de Prêmios e Apostas), which oversees Brazil’s betting regulation, has been expanding its regulatory scope into B2B supplier licensing as the framework around sports betting solidifies. A parallel push on casino legislation would represent a significant structural addition to that framework, and one that would require Congress, not the courts, to act.
Noronha’s remarks represent notable judicial-level commentary aligning with a legislative debate that has been building for years. A senior STJ justice publicly framing the casino ban as a self-defeating fiscal policy adds institutional weight to the legalization argument. The 14th Lisbon Forum’s theme was “New International Order, Technology and Sovereignty: Democratic, Economic and Social Challenges,” with discussions spanning artificial intelligence, digital platform regulation, and child protection in online environments. Noronha’s gambling comments were delivered in that broader context of regulatory modernization.
Source: Yogonet International
