The legal dispute between Loterj, Anatel, betting companies, and internet operators has taken on a new development. Last Friday (26), judge Pablo Zuniga, from the Federal Court of the 1st Region, reiterated the decision to block betting websites not authorized by Loterj. However, this measure only applies to the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Vicente Bandeira de Aquino, substitute president of Anatel, challenged the operators’ statement. They claim they do not have the technological means to block websites exclusively in one state.
On July 19, Vicente Bandeira de Aquino instructed the inspection superintendency. He ordered that operators be notified to comply with the court decision. Even if this resulted in the blocking of websites outside the state of Rio de Janeiro, the order must be complied with.
Deadline and legal implications
The National Gaming and Lottery Association (ANJL), which represents affected companies outside of Rio de Janeiro, questioned Anatel. In response, Judge Zuniga clarified that compliance with the court decision must be restricted to the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Zuniga gave Anatel a deadline of five days to prove that it complied with the decision as specified. ANJL sent letters to internet operators asking them to respect the court decision and avoid blocking websites in other states. Otherwise, ANJL plans to take legal action.
This situation highlights the complexity of blocking websites at the state level and the need for adequate technological solutions to comply with court decisions without affecting other regions.
Betting sites went offline after Anatel raised its tone with operators
Anatel needed to intensify measures against internet operators to ensure compliance with a court decision by judge Pablo Zuniga, from TRF-1, which ordered the removal of betting sites not authorized by Loterj in Rio de Janeiro.
The decision, issued on June 28, was being disregarded by operators, leading Anatel to threaten fines and other penalties.
On July 19, the substitute president of Anatel, Vicente Bandeira de Aquino Neto, sent a letter to the superintendent of inspection, Marcelo Alves da Silva, demanding compliance with the decision. Aquino highlighted that the operators’ stance was unacceptable and could lead to legal responsibilities for Anatel.
He stated that the operators did not demonstrate technical infeasibility to comply with the order and determined that the decision be complied with, even if this implied a nationwide blocking of betting sites.
Betting block in RJ affects million-dollar football contracts
Loterj, the lottery authority in Rio de Janeiro, determined that only betting houses regulated in the state can display their brands in games and stadiums, impacting million-dollar contracts in Brazilian football.
The measure came after notifications to advertising agencies and clubs in December 2023, demanding the suspension of advertisements from unregistered bookmakers.
Betting regulation in Brazil is recent, with the Ministry of Finance publishing rules in May 2024. The national license costs R$30 million for five years, while the state license, issued by Loterj, costs R$5 million for the same period.
Many betting companies still do not have a license to operate in Brazil. One example is Betano, which holds the naming rights for Brasileirão 2024. Despite an injunction allowing it to operate, its website is blocked in Rio de Janeiro.
Loterj rules
According to Loterj, in addition to blocking websites, non-regularized companies cannot display their brands on club uniforms or in advertising in stadiums in Rio. Therefore, this affects advertising contracts with Rio clubs such as Flamengo, Botafogo, Fluminense and Vasco.
The president of Loterj, Hazenclever Cançado, stated that all advertising agencies were notified to comply with the rules. Clubs in Rio can only display advertising from companies accredited by Loterj or União.
- Flamengo: Sponsored by Pixbet, regularized in RJ, with a contract worth R$105 million in 2024.
- Vasco: Sponsored by Betfair, without regularization in RJ, with a contract worth R$47 million in 2024.
- Botafogo: Sponsored by Parimatch, without regularization in RJ, with a contract worth R$27.5 million in 2024.
- Fluminense: Sponsored by Superbet, without regularization in RJ, with a contract worth R$42 million in 2024.
Lawsuit Brax Sports Assets
Brax Sports Assets, which negotiates sponsorships with several bookmakers, received two notifications for failing to comply with Loterj rules. In this way, the company may face warnings, fines of R$50,000 to R$2 billion, and administrative sanctions.
Finally, Brax has contracts totaling R$2.6 billion, covering the commercial exploitation of advertising boards in the stadiums of 17 Series A clubs and negotiations with six non-accredited betting houses in RJ, including Betano, Betnacional, Superbet , 1Xbet, Aposta Ganha and Bet7k.
