16 first division clubs start league sponsored by betting companies
The commercial reality prevailed over the judicial one at the start of the tournament. While Subtel admits that blocking websites is "ineffective," the Venezuelan brand Apuestas Royal bursts onto the scene with an aggressive strategy, sponsoring 11 teams for a fraction of what the giants cost.
The kickoff of the Chilean First Division has left a striking image that contradicts the judicial rulings from late 2025: 100% of the teams (16 out of 16) took the field wearing logos of betting operators on their jerseys. Despite the Supreme Court ordering the blocking of access to these platforms, Chilean football has reaffirmed its economic dependence on the iGaming industry.
The sponsorship market has undergone a reconfiguration with the entry of a new player: Apuestas Royal. This company, of Venezuelan origin and licensed in Curacao, has executed a "sweep" maneuver in the mid and lower table, securing presence in 11 clubs simultaneously. It will be the main sponsor of institutions such as Audax Italiano, Huachipato, and Unión La Calera, and a secondary sponsor in others like Everton and Palestino.
The "Low Cost" strategy: 11 teams for the price of a third of Colo-Colo
The logic behind Apuestas Royal’s investment is purely financial. In statements to the local media The Clinic, its CEO, Andrés Galperín, revealed the business figures: while sponsoring the two giants of the country (Colo-Colo and Universidad de Chile, both currently with JugaBet) cost more than USD 10 million, his company managed to capture 11 teams for just USD 3 million.
This volume strategy guarantees visibility in most televised matches without paying the premium of the big clubs. It was learned, for example, that Deportes Concepción will receive about USD 170,000 annually, a modest figure by international standards but vital for the economy of a club of that size. The map is completed with 1xBet retaining Universidad Católica, BC Game at O’Higgins, and Pin Up at Coquimbo Unido.
The digital "Whac-A-Mole": The government admits that blocks don’t work
The backdrop of this advertising deployment is the legal battle. In November 2025, the telecommunications guild (Chile Telcos) confirmed that providers such as Claro, Entel, and Movistar had complied with the supreme order to block betting sites.
However, the measure has proven to be a technical failure. The Undersecretary of Telecommunications (Subtel), Claudio Araya, publicly acknowledged the inefficacy of the ruling. In an interview with Radio Cooperativa, the official admitted that the restriction is "relatively easy to circumvent," since operators simply migrate to mirror sites or slightly change their URL.
"The possibility of creating domain name combinations is practically infinite," explained Araya, suggesting that the Supreme Court lacked proper technological advice when issuing a ruling that, in practice, has become a game of cat and mouse. While judges try to put gates on the digital field, the goals of the Chilean tournament continue to be celebrated with a betting house on the chest.
Tags: Chile, online betting Chile, Chile betting advertising