The Undersecretariat of Telecommunications (Subtel) in Chile has announced a ban on 42 foreign online gambling websites deemed illegal due to their lack of recognition by local authorities. This enforcement aligns with recent rulings from the Supreme Court and the Santiago Appeals Court. Major telecommunications providers including Entel, Movistar, Claro, GTD, WOM, and VTR are mandated to comply with this directive and will have a 48-hour window to remove these sites from their services.
The domains that will be affected are identified by the Superintendency of Casinos (SCJ), which oversees the gambling operators in the country. Subtel Undersecretary Romina Garrido emphasized the importance of adhering to the court's decisions, stating, "As Subtel, we are strictly complying with the rulings of the courts and the regulatory framework, deploying an efficient and coordinated technical solution that protects people’s digital security. With this order, we are requiring telecommunications companies to act with the utmost speed to block access to online casino platforms operating outside the law."
This directive is part of an ongoing effort to regulate online gambling in Chile and follows a legal challenge by Lotería de Concepción against these companies, which have failed to comply with the existing regulations. According to the Supreme Court, all illegal gambling activities are to be halted without exception. The Santiago Court of Appeals has confirmed that blocking DNS services is a legal measure that must be enacted according to this ruling.
