- REGULATION & COMPLIANCE
The ministry of finance in Brazil has ordered government telecoms agency Anatel to block 1,812 additional illegal gambling domains, taking the tally above 5,000 total blocked sites.
This is now the third list of domains sent by the ministry of finance’s Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) to Anatel, which has been tasked with taking down and blocking these sites in Brazil.
The first list of blocked operators sent on 11 October contained 2,040 sites including notable names such as Boylesports and Tabcorp, before a second list issued on 31 October added 1,400 more domains.
The measure is part of a government crackdown on illegal and unlicensed gambling operators as the industry faces very serious backlash from various government officials and the private sector.
The blocking order has been sent out to around 20,000 telecoms operators that provide internet coverage in Brazil. Anatel is responsible for monitoring and ensuring the blocking is being carried out “effectively and as quickly as possible”, it said in a statement today (20 November).
Only 100 operators and 223 brands have been approved by the SPA to continue doing business before the legal market launches. All other domains are now considered illegal and at risk of being blocked.
The list of approved operators has been called out by various companies that were originally not included and was subsequently updated on 21 October.