Brazil Blocks More Than 10,000 Betting Websites as Government Tightens Enforcement

The federal government has requested the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) to suspend over 10,000 betting websites in Brazil as the government’s enforcement efforts ramp up after the fixed-odds betting ban. The measure, which was enacted via Provisional Measure No. 1,394/2026, came into effect on September 26 and demands that bookmakers discontinue their actions.

Read more NFL

Before the ban was implemented, the daily flow of funds to betting platforms was estimated at approximately R$600 million, but, according to the finance minister Dario Durigan, this money flow has been “practically eliminated” now. According to the latest data from the government, the money belonging to users on the platforms dropped from around R$2.1 billion on September 26 to R$1.453 billion, a 31% decrease.

Thousands of Websites Targeted by Authorities

Over 10,000 websites have been cited by Anatel this week, on top of the thousands on earlier lists. The Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Finance had asked to block 5,209 domains by Sept. 29, and the government has been steadily increasing its monitoring and blocking efforts.

Anatel passes the addresses identified to the internet service providers (ISPs) for blocking. Durigan said the newly discovered sites should be shut down in hours, but it’s not certain it will happen based on the telecommunications agency.

The government is also cracking down on operators who try to make their own version of banned betting sites. Bank accounts of companies that are still operating under hidden servers have been blocked, and potentially funds will be put under government administration and/or public security.

Authorities Investigate Suspicious Accounts

The government’s financial monitoring identified 48 accounts with balances exceeding R$500,000 that will be further analyzed. Durigan didn’t say the accounts were engaged in criminal activity, but said their activity was not typical for a betting account.

Read more NFL

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 can be forwarded to agencies, such as the Secretariat for Digital Rights, the Secretariat for National Consumer Secretariat, and the Federal Police, especially when there is evidence of money laundering or association with organized crime.

Bettors Face October 5 Withdrawal Deadline

If they have money left on authorized sites, they can withdraw their account balances voluntarily before 11:59 p.m. Oct. 5. To date, the government’s last estimate, R$652.6 million, had already been withdrawn, and R$1.453 billion was spread among around 28.65 million CPF holders who have positive balances.

The websites and applications of the betting companies will go offline from October 6th. The operators will have to share the information of outstanding balances to the financial institutions between October 7 and 8, and banks will process refunds between October 9 and 14. In the case of problems in the repayment, the remaining amount will then be transferred to Caixa Econômica Federal for restitution.

Government Also Targets Betting Advertising

The enforcement initiative goes beyond websites and financial accounts. The government agencies have found over 10,000 websites and thousands of social media profiles, pages, channels and groups involved in illegal online betting promotion between 25th September and 1st October. The police have also asked for the elimination of gambling content from social media giants.

The action will limit access to betting advertisements and prevent banned operators from accessing consumers via other digital means, the government said. The measure is yet to be approved by Congress and is being contested by betting industry associations and others in Brazil’s Supreme Court.

Read more Hot as Hades Party Power Link&Win Slot Review

Source: BNL Data