The National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) is preparing to block illegal betting sites in Brazil. The action will begin as soon as the agency receives the list from the Ministry of Treasury, expected to arrive in ten days.
Authorities will notify more than 20,000 internet providers to block access to illegal platforms. The main challenge will be dealing with websites that try to circumvent the block, in constant pursuit.
The lack of a national registry of online games complicates the creation of a list of irregular sites. The Ministry of Treasury plans to ban up to 600 websites without authorization to operate in the country.
Anatel’s request to internet providers to restrict irregular betting
Anatel will ask internet providers, of all sizes, to stop access to illegal platforms. The experience of blocking social network X, formerly known as Twitter, is an example of the difficulties of this process.
Recently, the company led by Elon Musk circumvented the blocking using third-party infrastructure, forcing Anatel to discover new IP addresses to guarantee the blocking.
Furthermore, the absence of a national registry of online games makes compiling a list of irregular sites a complex task. The Ministry of Treasury tries to discover, on the internet, which platforms operate illegally, starting from a “positive list” of regular websites.
This Monday, the Minister of Treasury, Fernando Haddad, announced that the government will ban up to 600 websites in Brazil for not having requested authorization to operate.
Anatel and Treasury will close a technical cooperation agreement to define the details of the process of blocking illegal websites. This agreement will be necessary both now and in the future when new irregular platforms are identified. It will be up to the Treasury to point out which platforms are irregular and Anatel to determine the blockade.
