In a significant regulatory move, Brazil has begun shutting down over 2,000 online betting sites as the government responds to what Finance Minister Fernando Haddad describes as a “betting pandemic.”
This crackdown aims to bring order to a sector that has operated with little oversight since the legalization of sports betting in 2018.
The Brazilian government’s action targets sites that failed to comply with new regulations set to take effect in January.
These regulations aim to combat fraud and money laundering while protecting users, including a ban on minors participating in gambling activities.
Haddad stated, “Anyone who is not regularized, or in the process of being regularized, is being taken off the air.”
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Among the sites affected are those associated with popular football teams like Corinthians, Athletico Paranaense, Bahia, and Grêmio de Porto Alegre, highlighting the deep ties between online betting and Brazilian sports culture.
The finance ministry identified 2,040 “suspicious domains” and requested the telecom regulatory agency, Anatel, to block them.
This regulatory shift comes as Brazilians increasingly engage with various gambling games, including the virtual airplane game Aviator and the online casino game Fortune Tiger.
However, this surge in online gambling has also led many citizens into financial distress.
While the new regulations will see more than 2,000 sites blocked and banned from advertising, over 200 sites have complied with the new rules and will be allowed to continue operating.
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The government hopes these measures will foster a safer betting environment and mitigate the risks associated with unregulated online gambling.
As Brazil takes these steps, the balance between promoting a legal betting industry and protecting vulnerable citizens remains a pressing concern.