STF President considers joint trial on betting, games, and municipal lotteries

The President of the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court (STF), Justice Edson Fachin, indicated that the Court could jointly assess the cases debating the regulation of online betting, municipal lotteries, and the prohibition of games in Brazil. The possibility was raised during a plenary session, but no date has yet been set for the trial. On Wednesday (4th), the justices heard arguments from lawyers in a case concerning the suspension of lotteries authorized by municipalities. Filed by the Solidariedade party, the case questions municipalities’ authority to structure and regulate their own lotteries. At the end of last year, the case’s rapporteur, Justice Kassio Nunes Marques, ordered the suspension of these activities nationwide. Who suggested the idea of combining all the proceedings The idea of grouping all the proceedings together was put forward by Justice Flávio Dino at the end of the oral arguments. He asked Fachin about the possibility of holding a joint trial, given the connection between the issues. Dino also noted that he is ready to return a request to review the case. The request was made in August, in a case examining the validity of the ban on games under the 1941 Criminal Misdemeanors Law. Initially, Fachin stated that the STF Presidency’s goal was to keep the cases separate. However, after hearing from the other justices, he acknowledged the possibility of combining the cases into a “joint trial at an appropriate time.” “The Presidency’s inclination is toward a separate trial; however, I am of course open to the panel’s considerations, and given what we’ve seen here, including some arguments referencing yesterday’s public hearing, that may well be the path to follow going forward,” he stated. Justice Luiz Fux, rapporteur of the cases concerning betting, also raised the possibility of a joint trial. According to him, in addition to the cases concerning the rules for the sector’s operation, the STF has also begun receiving lawsuits challenging the federal government’s provisional measure that banned sports betting and online gaming in Brazil. Finally, Fux stated that part of his vote is already prepared, but he needs more time to finalize his opinion. O post STF President considers joint trial on betting, games, and municipal lotteries apareceu primeiro em iGaming Brazil.