Chile orders ISPs to block 42 unauthorised betting sites

Chile’s Telecommunications Subsecretariat (Subtel) has ordered six internet service providers to block 42 online betting and gambling URLs within 48 hours, implementing a court-backed process for the continuing removal of unauthorised gambling sites.

Subtel said on 1 September that it had notified Entel, Movistar, Claro, GTD, WOM and VTR of the 42 URLs, which had been reviewed and validated by the Superintendency of Gaming Casinos (SCJ). The ISPs must implement the blocks using the Domain Name System (DNS) and report compliance to the Santiago Court of Appeals.

The action follows a Supreme Court ruling requiring internet providers to block unauthorised online gambling sites. The case originated in a protection action brought by Lotería de Concepción against telecommunications companies over access to betting platforms operating without the required authorisation.

The Santiago Court of Appeals subsequently approved a process allowing the blocking mechanism to be updated as new domains and mirror sites emerge. Under the procedure, gambling domains can be submitted for review, with the SCJ determining whether they fall within the scope of the court ruling before Subtel instructs ISPs to block them.

Subtel said DNS blocking was selected following its technical assessment of possible enforcement mechanisms. It argued that targeting individual, validated domains was more proportionate than approaches such as deep-packet inspection, while reducing risks to privacy, network neutrality and legitimate online services.

The latest order also formalises the continuing nature of the process. Subtel said additional domains, subdomains and mirror sites can be added where they are specifically identified and subsequently validated by the SCJ. The procedure also allows errors to be corrected where a block inadvertently affects a lawful service.

The initial list includes international and locally targeted betting brands alongside a number of Chile-specific domains.

In August Chile’s Santiago Court of Appeals approved a DNS-based process to block online betting and gambling sites found to be operating without authorisation. The Court selected DNS blocking following a technical proposal from Subtel. The approach targets individual, validated domains and was considered more proportionate than broader technical measures, which could create a greater risk of over blocking lawful internet content.

The procedure establishes a continuing and updateable enforcement mechanism, allowing new domains and mirror sites to be added without reopening the original court proceedings. It also includes a review stage intended to reduce the risk that legitimate online services are mistakenly blocked.