Chile orders major ISPs to prove they are blocking illegal online gambling sites following Supreme Court ruling

Chile’s online gambling landscape has entered a decisive new phase as the Santiago Court of Appeals has formally ordered the country’s six largest Internet service providers to demonstrate full compliance with a Supreme Court mandate requiring the blocking of unlicensed betting platforms.

The court’s order, issued on 21 November 2025, applies to Claro, Entel, GTD, Telefónica, WOM and VTR, instructing each provider to submit detailed documentation of the technical and operational measures they have implemented to restrict access to offshore gambling sites.

This follows the 29 September 2025 Supreme Court ruling that classified all online gambling as illegal unless explicitly authorised by the state. Only entities such as Lotería de Concepción, Polla Chilena de Beneficencia, and licensed casinos and racetracks may legally offer gambling services in Chile.

The Court of Appeals noted that ISPs must not only block specific domains, but also maintain systems to counter evasive tactics commonly used by offshore operators, including rapid domain changes, IP masking and alternative routing.

Industry reactions have been mixed. Chile’s trade association Acción Casino y Juegos (ACCJ) welcomed the enforcement move as a step toward legal clarity, while offshore operators argue that without a dedicated licensing system, the blocking orders create regulatory uncertainty and raise questions about net-neutrality compliance.

For operators, affiliates, and payment providers, the ruling signals a clear escalation in Chile’s enforcement approach. Market participants should expect increased monitoring of domain activity, stricter compliance expectations and heightened risk for unlicensed platforms operating in the Chilean market.