Ministry of Finance asks Anatel to block more than 1.800 illegal betting sites for the third time

The Ministry of Finance's Secretariat for Prizes and Gambling (SPA) sent the third list of domains to the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) on Monday (18/11) so that access can be blocked. The first list was sent on 11 October, with 2,040 sites. The second, on 31 October, contained more than 1,400. Taking into account some corrections, the number of blocked sites has exceeded 5,200 in less than 40 days.

As on the two previous occasions, the blocking order is being sent to the 20,000 or so telecoms companies that provide internet signals in Brazil. Each company will take its own technical measures, and Anatel will monitor to ensure that the blocking is carried out effectively and as quickly as possible.

Blocking websites is just one of the federal government's actions to tackle illegal betting. Other actions include combating the advertising of illegal sites (including those carried out by influencers) and the use of the national financial system by these companies.

Only companies that have applied for authorisation by 17 September or that have been nominated by state and Federal District betting regulators can nominate sites to offer bets legally until the end of this year.

Legislation

By December, the Treasury should complete the process of definitively analysing the first applications received, to check which betting companies comply with all the provisions of Law No. 13.756/2018 (which legalises fixed-odds betting, in the form of sports betting); Law No. 14.790/2023 (which regulates the operation of fixed-odds betting and includes online games in this category); and the more than ten SPA ordinances that regulate the activity. From 1 January 2025, only companies authorised by the SPA will be able to offer betting nationwide.

Companies authorised to operate until December will also be monitored, as they are in a ‘probationary period’ while waiting for all the documentation to be analysed for the definitive authorisation process. Companies that break any law in force in Brazil - including the Consumer Defence Code and the Child and Adolescent Statute - run the risk of not being granted a licence to operate next year.