Brazil Seeks Blocking of 10,000+ Betting Websites

Brazil’s federal government has asked the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) to block more than 10,000 betting websites as authorities intensify enforcement following the country’s fixed-odds betting ban.

The measure was introduced through Provisional Measure No. 1,394/2026, which took effect on September 26 and requires bookmakers to stop their operations.

Before the ban came into force, betting platforms were estimated to receive around R$600 million in funds each day. Finance Minister Dario Durigan said that this flow has now been “practically eliminated.”

Government figures also show a decline in the money held by users on betting platforms. The total fell from approximately R2.1billiononSeptember26toR1.453 billion, representing a 31% reduction.

Authorities Expand Website Blocking

Anatel has received more than 10,000 betting website addresses for blocking this week, adding to thousands of domains included on previous lists.

The Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Finance had previously requested the blocking of 5,209 domains by September 29. Authorities have continued expanding their efforts to identify and restrict websites operating under the banned betting framework.

Anatel forwards the identified addresses to internet service providers (ISPs), which are responsible for blocking access to them.

Durigan said the newly identified websites should be taken offline within hours, although the telecommunications agency indicated that this outcome was not certain.

Authorities are also targeting operators attempting to create alternative versions of banned betting websites. Bank accounts belonging to companies continuing to operate through hidden servers have been blocked, while funds could potentially be placed under government administration and/or public security.

Government Reviews High-Balance Accounts

Financial monitoring conducted by the government identified 48 accounts containing more than R$500,000. These accounts will undergo further analysis.

Durigan did not state that the account holders were involved in criminal activity, but said their activity was not typical of betting accounts.

“Not all of them are, but there is some activity that varies from the majority of the accounts that have money coming and going from betting that may potentially be a subject of a study,” Durigan said.

The cases may be referred to agencies including the Secretariat for Digital Rights, the Secretariat for National Consumer Secretariat and the Federal Police, particularly where there are indications of money laundering or links to organized crime.

Bettors Have Until October 5 to Withdraw Funds

Customers with remaining balances on authorised betting websites can voluntarily withdraw their money until 11:59 p.m. on October 5.

The government’s latest estimate showed that R652.6millionhadalreadybeenwithdrawn.Meanwhile,R1.453 billion remained distributed among approximately 28.65 million CPF holders with positive balances.

Betting websites and applications are scheduled to go offline from October 6.

Operators must provide financial institutions with information on outstanding balances between October 7 and 8. Banks will then process the refunds between October 9 and 14.

Where issues arise during the repayment process, the remaining funds will be transferred to Caixa Econômica Federal for restitution.

Authorities Also Target Illegal Betting Promotion

The enforcement campaign extends beyond betting websites and financial accounts.

Between September 25 and October 1, government agencies identified more than 10,000 websites alongside thousands of social media profiles, pages, channels and groups associated with the promotion of illegal online betting.

Police have also requested the removal of gambling-related content from major social media platforms.

According to the government, the measures are intended to restrict access to betting advertisements and prevent banned operators from reaching consumers through alternative digital channels.

The measure still requires approval from Congress and is being challenged by betting industry associations and other parties before Brazil’s Supreme Court.