Chile Orders Blocking of 42 Online Gambling Sites

Chile’s Undersecretariat of Telecommunications (Subtel) has ordered the blocking of 42 foreign online gambling websites that are not recognised by the country’s governing authorities.

The measure follows decisions from the Supreme Court and the Santiago Appeals Court. Internet service providers including Entel, Movistar, Claro, GTD, WOM and VTR have been given 48 hours to remove access to the identified platforms through their services.

The specific domains to be blocked will be identified by the Superintendency of Casinos (SCJ), the authority responsible for overseeing gambling operators in Chile.

Subtel Undersecretary Romina Garrido said the agency is implementing the court rulings in line with the applicable regulatory framework.

As Subtel, we are strictly complying with the rulings of the courts and the regulatory framework, deploying an efficient and coordinated technical solution that protects people’s digital security. With this order, we are requiring telecommunications companies to act with the utmost speed to block access to online casino platforms operating outside the law.

The order comes amid continued discussions surrounding the regulation of online gambling in Chile. It follows legal action brought by Lotería de Concepción against the companies involved over their failure to comply with existing regulations.

The Supreme Court ruled that illegal gambling activities must be halted without exception. Meanwhile, the Santiago Court of Appeals determined that DNS blocking is permitted and should be implemented to comply with the ruling.