TLDR Brazil marks 80 years since President Dutra banned casinos on April 30, 1946, a decision reportedly influenced by his religious wife and political rivals of Getúlio Vargas The ban shut down roughly 70 casinos overnight, leaving 40,000 workers unemployed with no transition period for businesses or employees Brazil legalized sports betting in 2018 and online casino gambling in late 2023, collecting nearly BRL 10 billion ($2 billion) in taxes in 2025 A pending bill could legalize resort casinos, urban casinos, and bingo halls, potentially creating 700,000 jobs and generating BRL 70 billion for the economy Las Vegas alone welcomed 38.5 million visitors in 2025, compared to Brazil’s total of 9.3 million foreign tourists in the same period
Eighty years ago today, Brazilian President Eurico Gaspar Dutra signed a decree that shut down every casino in the country. The decision, made on April 30, 1946, ended what many called a golden age of gambling in Brazil.
The closure came through Decree-Law No. 9215. It cited moral, legal, and religious traditions as the basis for banning gambling across the nation.
Dutra was reportedly influenced by his wife, Dona Carmela, a deeply religious woman known as “Dona Santinha” or “Mrs. Holy.” His justice minister, Carlos Luz, also pushed for the ban as part of his campaign to become governor of Minas Gerais. Luz lost that election anyway.
The move was also political. Dutra’s predecessor, Getúlio Vargas, was a regular casino-goer. Vargas’s brother, Benjamim, was said to own casinos in Rio de Janeiro through a front man named Joaquim Rolla.
A Ban That Took Effect Overnight
The decree gave no transition period. It took effect the day it was published, catching casino owners, employees, and performers completely off guard.
At the time, Brazil had roughly 70 casinos employing around 40,000