Brazil Fights Illegal Market: Virtual Lab for Auto Blocks Launched
Presented at the ICE Barcelona fair, the project will automate the identification and deactivation of unlicensed "offshore" platforms. With the collaboration of Anatel, the Federal Police, and the banking sector, Brazil aims to reduce the illegal market by 50% by 2030.
Brazil has taken a decisive technological step to protect its new regulated market. The Prizes and Betting Secretariat (SPA) of the Ministry of Finance has announced the launch of a virtual laboratory specifically designed to combat illegal betting. This system, operational since January 2026, will allow the automated detection and blocking of clandestine operators attempting to attract users within Brazilian territory.
The announcement took place at the Casa Brasil pavilion during ICE Barcelona, emphasizing that the fight against the grey market is not only a matter of laws but also of technical capacity and institutional cooperation.
Automation: from manual tracking to immediate response
Since October 2024, authorities have detected more than 25,000 suspicious domains, managing to block about 2,000 sites through traditional administrative processes. However, the virtual laboratory marks a paradigm shift:
- Permanent Monitoring: The platform, developed by the company Intercity, will track new domains and gather digital evidence 24 hours a day.
- Direct DNS Blocking: It will issue electronic blocking orders to internet providers supervised by Anatel without the need for constant manual intervention.
- Payment Control: It will identify flows through Pix and other payment methods to financially strangle illegal operators.
An interinstitutional intelligence network
The project does not operate in isolation but integrates the main actors of Brazil’s financial and digital ecosystem:
- Advertising: It will cross-check information with Conar and the Digital Council to identify irregular advertising on social networks.
- Financial Fraud: Febraban will provide fraud profiles, while the Central Bank and the Federal Police will receive automatic alerts about suspicious movements to initiate criminal investigations.
- Regional Benchmark: Brazil has taken as a reference the successful model of Peru, aiming to reduce the offshore market by half by the year 2030.
Critical measures for the future
Looking ahead to the coming months, authorities plan to increase pressure by blocking direct communications (SMS and emails) that illegal sites send after being taken down. Additionally, "high-intensity blocks" will be applied during peak audience moments, such as the minutes before football matches, to prevent clandestine operators from exploiting traffic spikes.
For licensed operators, this virtual laboratory represents the necessary "cleaning" tool to ensure that competition in Brazil is fair and develops exclusively under the protection of the law.
Tags: Brazil, casa Brasil, ICE Barcelona 2026, combat illegal betting Brazil, virtual betting laboratory Brazil