Chile has started enforcing a Supreme Court ruling that makes online gambling unlawful unless a statute expressly allows it. On 1 September 2026, the telecoms regulator Subtel ordered six large internet providers to block 42 betting and casino websites using DNS restrictions. The enforcement step matters because it applies the court's legal position directly to internet infrastructure, rather than relying only on action against the operators themselves.
Supreme Court established the legal bar
In September 2025, the Third Constitutional Chamber of Chile's Supreme Court ruled by a narrow three-to-two majority in a case brought by the Concepción Lottery. It upheld the lottery's appeal and commanded a group of telecoms companies—Claro, Entel, GTD, Telefónica (Movistar), WOM and VTR—to block all unauthorised online betting sites without delay. The court also determined that internet providers may not convey or facilitate unlawful activity. Its judgment said only Lotería, Polla and Teletrak had legal permission for certain online game formats, and no other organisation could offer games of chance online. The named platforms Betano, Coolbet, JugaBet, Rojabet and Betsson were among those that providers had not blocked. MercoPress reported that the decision passed by three votes to two.
Subtel instructs six providers to apply DNS blocks
Subtel announced that Entel, Movistar, Claro, GTD, WOM and VTR were instructed to apply DNS-based restrictions no later than 48 hours after being notified. The list originated from the Superintendence of Gaming Casinos and includes both international sports betting brands and online casinos. The regulator said it wanted to comply with earlier decisions by the Supreme Court and the Santiago Court of Appeals that forbid transmitting or promoting gambling services not expressly allowed under national rules. MercoPress noted that the action represented a move away from legal interpretation and toward practical enforcement.
Hundreds of illegal sites are already identified
Chile's Superintendency of Casinos has identified more than 900 unlawful betting websites, with annual wagering estimated at US$150 million. A separate legal action filed in 2022 by Polla Chilena against Mundo Pacífico also succeeded on appeal, leading to blocks for more than 20 online gambling sites. In parallel, a draft law intended to regulate online gambling remains under consideration in the Senate. If it passes, the proposal would aim to create a market with competition, player protections, transparency and tax contributions, but for now it is a proposal rather than enacted legislation.
Latin America is not moving toward one regulatory model
Peru operates a national licensing system under Law No. 31557, with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism authorising and supervising remote gaming and sports betting. Bolivia's Gaming Control Authority takes a more restrictive view, stating that online betting platforms without national approval are illegal. In Argentina, regulation is primarily handled at the provincial level and by the City of Buenos Aires, so rules can vary between regions. Colombia's national regulator, Coljuegos, grants licences to online operators; the number of nationally approved platforms has reached 15. Its anti-illegal gambling work has produced blocks on more than 58,000 unauthorised betting web addresses. In 2025 Brazil introduced a federal market for fixed-odds betting under official oversight, and a Senate committee adopted proposed advertising restrictions on 2 September 2026; that bill still needs additional legislative steps before it could become law.
