Brazil Sends 10,435 Betting Sites for Blocking as Ban Takes Effect

Brazilian authorities have referred 10,435 betting websites to telecommunications regulator Anatel for blocking as enforcement intensifies around the country's new prohibition on fixed-odds betting.

The domains were identified between September 25 and October 1 by the Ministry of Justice's Cyber Operations Laboratory and the Ministry of Finance's Secretariat of Prizes and Betting.

The latest figure represents an updated cumulative total rather than 10,000 additional sites on top of the 5,209 domains previously announced.

At the previous government briefing, authorities had referred 5,209 domains for blocking. The number subsequently increased to 8,357 before passing 10,000.

Internet service providers are responsible for restricting access after the addresses are passed through Anatel.

Betting Flows Fell From Around R$600 Million Per Day

Finance Minister Dario Durigan said approximately R$600 million, around $115 million, had been moving through betting platforms each day before the prohibition.

According to the government, that daily flow was effectively reduced to zero after the new restrictions prevented licensed operators from accepting additional player funds.

Existing customer balances have also fallen sharply.

Operators initially reported approximately R$2.1 billion held in player accounts. The latest government figure shows R$1.453 billion remaining, representing a decline of around 31%.

Approximately R$652.6 million has therefore already been withdrawn.

The remaining balances were spread across approximately 28.65 million CPF holders at the latest count.

Government Reviews 48 High-Balance Accounts

Financial monitoring has also identified 48 betting accounts holding more than R$500,000 each, equivalent to roughly $96,000.

The government has not said that the accounts are necessarily connected with criminal activity.

Instead, officials said the transactions will be examined individually because their balances or activity differ from typical betting account patterns.

Cases may be referred to other authorities, including the Federal Police, if the analysis identifies indications of money laundering, organised crime or other irregularities.

The enforcement effort is also targeting businesses that continue processing payments or attempt to keep gambling services online through alternative infrastructure.

Licensed Betting Sites Must Go Offline on October 6

Brazil's betting prohibition was introduced through Provisional Measure No. 1,394 on September 25.

Operators were immediately prohibited from accepting new deposits, while customers were given until 11:59 p.m. on October 5 to withdraw available balances voluntarily.

Licensed betting websites and apps must become unavailable from October 6.

Operators will then provide information on outstanding player balances to financial institutions. Banks are expected to process refunds between October 9 and 14, with Caixa Econômica Federal acting as an intermediary where banks cannot complete the repayment.

The ban covers fixed-odds sports betting and online casino products previously offered under Brazil's regulated framework.

Enforcement Extends Beyond Gambling Domains

The government's campaign is also targeting the wider digital infrastructure used to promote gambling.

Authorities have identified more than 3,000 social media pages, profiles, channels, groups and servers for removal across Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, TikTok and Discord.

App stores have also been instructed to remove 186 betting applications.

The increase from 5,209 to 10,435 domains within days illustrates how quickly the government's enforcement list is expanding.

However, domain counts should not be interpreted as the number of individual operators. A single gambling business can operate multiple websites, mirrors or alternative addresses.

The effectiveness of the blocking programme will therefore depend not only on the number of domains removed but also on authorities' ability to identify replacement infrastructure, payment channels and promotional networks used after the regulated market closes.