Brazil Moves to Block 10,435 Illegal Betting Sites as Enforcement Expands

Brazilian authorities have referred 10,435 illegal betting domains for blocking in just one week, while thousands of social media accounts and 186 gambling apps are also being targeted as the government intensifies enforcement following its nationwide betting ban.

Brazil has sharply expanded enforcement against illegal betting, with 10,435 websites referred to telecom regulator Anatel for blocking between September 25 and October 1.

The action was coordinated by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security’s Cyber Operations Laboratory and the Ministry of Finance’s Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA). The figure increased rapidly from 5,209 domains reported on September 29 as authorities intensified digital monitoring.

The operation extends well beyond websites. Authorities identified 3,040 pages, profiles, channels, groups and servers linked to betting promotion and requested their removal. These included 1,974 Facebook pages, 375 Instagram profiles, 605 Telegram accounts and groups, 85 TikTok profiles and one Discord server. Content on Telegram, TikTok and Discord alone had a combined reach of around 3.46 million users or followers.

Another 186 betting applications available through Apple and Google stores were ordered to be removed by October 6. Google, Meta, YouTube, X, Telegram, TikTok, Kwai and Discord were also notified about the removal of betting advertising.

The crackdown follows Provisional Measure 1,394, issued on September 25, which prohibited the operation, offer, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds betting throughout Brazil, covering both sports betting and online games.

The government is also expanding its enforcement structure. A new inspection and consumer harm prevention department has been created within Senacon, while the National Secretariat for Digital Rights has received broader powers to request information from online platforms, order content removals and initiate administrative enforcement procedures.

The transition is already having a significant financial effect. Between September 26 and October 2, balances held by bettors on platforms fell by 30.99%, or R$652.6 million, although another R$1.453 billion remained under monitoring for withdrawal across accounts with positive balances.

The jump from hundreds of targeted domains immediately after the ban to more than 10,000 within a week illustrates the scale of Brazil’s enforcement challenge. The next test will be whether authorities can keep illegal operators from rapidly replacing blocked domains, apps and promotional channels as the country moves away from its recently established regulated betting market.