1 History of and overall attitudes to gambling
1.1 How prevalent are different types of gambling in your jurisdiction? For example, does the current law reflect: (a) Religious or moral objections to gambling? (b) A permissive approach which also seeks to address the social consequences of gambling? and (c) The promotion of gambling as an ‘export' industry?
(a) Religious or moral objections to gambling?
Yes. The outdated legislation of the 1940s that prohibits gambling throughout the Brazilian territory is strongly based on morals and religiousness.
Games of chance are treated as misdemeanours, which are recognised by law as offences punishable by minor penalties (Article 61 of Law 9,099/1995). In other words, a misdemeanour is a lesser offensive crime when compared to a criminal violation of Brazilian law. The term ‘misdemeanour' is related to ‘public morality', which, according to Professor Humberto José da Nova, includes "safeguarding morality" in order to "prevent certain
