06/29/2024 – 19:38
Mayor Ricardo Nunes’ (MDB) decision to sanction the bill that prohibits animal racing for betting and gambling caused an unusual movement at the Jockey Club of São Paulo, this Saturday, 29th. Visitors rushed to the largest racetrack in the country, many for the first time, to get a closer look at the horse racing before a possible total ban.
Even the managers of the space were surprised by the movement, not by the quantity – it wasn’t a crowd that formed at the imposing and traditional entrance on Avenida Lineu de Paula Machado, in Cidade Jardim. They were surprised by the people who sought out the noble area for the first time, curious to discover the space that occupied part of the news throughout the week.
This was the case of civil servant Soraya Teles, 26, and sales assistant Bruno Alves, 32, who decided to visit the venue before a final decision was made on the end of horse racing in São Paulo. “I had never seen a horse race before and I was intrigued. It is a very beautiful place,” she said.
The bill, authored by councilor Xexéu Trípoli (União), was approved by the City Council in the second round. “Sporting activities that use animals, such as races, disputes or any other event, with the respective issuance of betting tickets, even if by digital or virtual means, are prohibited,” says the text.
According to the City Hall, the mayor’s sanction will be published in the Official Gazette on Monday, the 1st. With this, establishments that promote this type of activity will have 180 days, that is, six months to adapt to the measure, and may be penalized in case of non-compliance.
The City Hall’s interpretation is different. On Thursday, the 27th, Nunes told reporters that when the club received the land from Companhia City Cidade Jardim, in the 1940s, permission for horse racing was granted. According to the city administration’s understanding, if there is no longer any horse racing activity, the land would be transferred to the City Hall.
This movement also led administrative assistants Alexandre Nogueira, 20 years old, and Thalita Hatsue, 19 years old, to occupy the stands for the first time. It was her idea. “I already liked racing, but I had only seen it on TV. All this controversy made us come and see it up close,” she says.
Regular visitors are concerned about the future of the activity, but they believe that the issue will be taken to court. The main argument is Law 7191/84, which regulates horse breeding activities in the country and determines that the coordination, supervision and guidance of the sector are the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture. According to this understanding, the municipal law cannot revoke the federal law.
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