Chile Orders 37 More Betting Domains Blocked as Crackdown Expands to Mirror Sites

Chile has ordered internet providers to block 37 additional domains linked to unauthorised online gambling, expanding its enforcement campaign to new addresses, subdomains and mirror sites used by betting platforms.

Chile's Subsecretaría de Telecomunicaciones (Subtel) has ordered six major internet providers to block another 37 domains, subdomains and mirror sites associated with online betting and gambling platforms.

The instruction was issued on September 21 to Entel, Movistar, Claro, GTD, WOM and VTR. The companies have a maximum of 48 hours from notification to implement the blocks using the Domain Name System, or DNS.

The new list was reviewed and validated by the Superintendencia de Casinos de Juego (SCJ) under the procedure established by Chile's courts. It includes addresses associated with brands such as Betano, Betsson, Rojabet, Estelarbet, Betcris, KTO, 1xBet, Marathonbet, Betway, Betfair, Betsala, Bet365, Mi Casino and Sportingbet.

The latest action follows an earlier order issued on September 1 covering 42 betting URLs. That first list included a wide range of offshore gambling platforms and was also directed at the same six internet providers, which were given 48 hours to complete the DNS restrictions.

The second wave illustrates one of the main enforcement problems facing Chilean authorities: blocked platforms can migrate to different web addresses. Subtel says the current procedure was specifically designed to deal with new domains, redirects, subdomains and mirror sites connected to previously identified gambling services.

Under the process, Lotería de Concepción or another participating party first identifies suspected addresses. The SCJ then checks whether they correspond to unauthorised online betting or gambling platforms. Once validated, Subtel formally communicates the addresses to the internet providers for blocking.

Providers must also report directly to the Santiago Court of Appeals that the blocking has been completed and provide Subtel with the exact date and time of implementation. DNS blocking was selected by the court because it targets specifically identified addresses while reducing the risk of accidentally restricting legitimate online services.

Importantly, the September 21 order is not expected to be the final list. Subtel says the procedure will continue to be applied whenever new domains, subdomains or mirror sites are identified, verified and approved by the SCJ. Mechanisms are also available to correct cases where legitimate services are affected by mistake.

Chile's enforcement campaign is therefore shifting from one-off website blocking toward a continuing process of identifying replacement addresses. The effectiveness of the strategy will depend on whether regulators and internet providers can detect new mirrors quickly enough to prevent operators from simply moving users to another domain.