Anatel and treasury block 25,000 illegal betting sites
Edson Holanda, counselor of the National Telecommunications Agency, revealed during the 'Bet On Brazil' event the scale of the offensive against illegal gambling. The joint operation with the Central Bank aims not only to block web access but also to cut the financial flow of unauthorized platforms.
The regulation of gambling in Brazil is not limited to granting licenses; it also involves one of the largest digital cleanup operations in the world. The National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) has confirmed that, thanks to coordinated work with the Ministry of Finance, nearly 25,000 illegal betting websites were blocked during the course of 2025.
This figure was shared by Edson Holanda, counselor of the regulatory body, during his participation in the Bet On Brazil forum. The official highlighted that the effectiveness of these measures lies in the integration of different branches of the State, overcoming the technical difficulties involved in monitoring a continental territory with a decentralized telecommunications infrastructure.
The logistics of the "blackout": How the blocking is coordinated with 17,000 ISPs
The most complex aspect of this offensive is the breadth of the Brazilian network. Unlike other countries where the internet market is concentrated in a few players, Brazil has thousands of regional internet service providers (ISPs). Holanda explained the technical procedure: once the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) issues the order declaring a domain illegal, Anatel processes the instruction and distributes it to about 17,000 regulated economic agents.
These agents, ranging from giants like Vivo or Claro to small municipal fiber optic providers, are ultimately responsible for implementing the technical block (usually via DNS or IP) to prevent Brazilian users from accessing the illegal offer. According to the counselor, although the process faces operational challenges, it has been conducted efficiently to normalize the sector.
Multidimensional strategy: From IP blocking to financial strangulation with the Central Bank
Domain blocking is only part of the equation. Holanda emphasized the critical importance of collaboration with the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB). While Anatel cuts access, the BCB works to identify and block financial transactions, preventing the instant payment system Pix from being used by unlicensed operators.
The ultimate goal is to recover the resources that currently flow to the black market and transform them into tax revenue and social benefits. Additionally, Anatel has integrated its efforts with the National Council to Combat Piracy and Crimes against Intellectual Property, dependent on the Ministry of Justice, understanding that illegal gambling often uses the same digital routes as content piracy and digital smuggling.
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