Chile: Supreme Court orders internet providers to block illegal casino and betting house sites

In its ruling, the Court stated that “… pursuant to the provisions of Article 20 of the Political Constitution of the Republic and in the Agreed Order of this Court on the matter… it is declared that the appeal for protection filed is admissible, and must be given the corresponding processing.”

In this context, the General Manager of the Lottery of Concepción, Mario Parada, said that this ruling “confirms that in our country gambling is prohibited and that only certain institutions, supported by law, can carry out this activity, as the Lottery of Concepción does through Law 18,568.” In addition, Parada stressed that “it is imperative that the organizations that intend to illegally carry out the administration of gambling immediately cease such activity.”

“We call on those companies that facilitate illegal activities through their services, such as internet providers, to take immediate action, blocking the websites where bets and other activities expressly prohibited by law are carried out,” concluded Parada.

The protection appeal filed by Lotería de Concepción is directed at the companies Claro Chile, Entel, GTD, Telefónica Chile, WOM and VTR, for allowing access to illegal betting house and casino sites such as: Betsson, Betway, Betano, Coolbet, Juegalo, Rojabet, MiCasino, among others.

“This ruling sets a very important precedent and establishes that all companies that provide services to illegal activities are acting illegally and arbitrarily,” said Lotería de Concepción. In addition, they emphasized that this ruling not only affects internet providers, but also other services that currently support these illegal sites, such as media and payment methods.

Finally, the institution reaffirmed its commitment to responsible gaming, recalling that “Lotería de Concepción has the highest certification from the World Lottery Association (WLA) in this matter.” “It is part of our duty as an internationally certified entity to report these events and inform the public regarding problematic gambling. These illegal sites have seriously affected the mental health of Chileans, with studies showing that gambling addiction rates have doubled due to the irresponsible promotion of gambling to minors and vulnerable groups in our country, without any type of restriction," the firm concludes.