After being elected the President of the Chamber of Deputies just last week, Rodrigo Maia is now showing his support for gaming legislation in Brazil. Maia won the position during a second round ballot by earning 285 votes to 170. He will now play a major role in creating new policies in the Brazilian government including opening the economy for additional revenues and decreasing public spending.

Maia was attending a meeting of his party, the Democratas, when he spoke out in favor of legislation that would allow casinos to be created in Brazil as part of resorts and entertainment complex construction.

During the state meeting, Maia stated that he is in favor of gaming being a part of the chain of entertainment offered in Brazil, including casino and resorts as investment in the network of events and including gaming. Maia feels this path will bring ‘billions and billions’ to Brazil. Currently, the country has 8,000 illegal gaming machines and no one is doing anything about it. Maia feels that either the country takes progress towards something serious or they end up with what they have already, which is money laundering taking place every day.

This is not the first time that Maia has spoken out about casino gaming in Brazil. Earlier in July, he told the press that legislation that would allow for casinos to be included in resorts may be approved by the end of 2016. Maia is also agreeable to creating a new body that would work to prevent tax evasion and money laundering in regards to the online gaming industry.

A number of officials are now in support of gaming in Brazil which should only help to bring legislation to life. As Maia, the Head of the Chamber, and the Head of the Senate are both in favor, it only adds to Michel Temer, the interim president’s plans to make gambling legal within Brazil. Temer wants to use gambling as a way to increase revenues for the state.