Sports betting sites in Rio de Janeiro banned by the Federal Court

Since Tuesday, sports betting sites cannot be accessed using mobile data from Claro, Vivo and Tim. Access via Wi-Fi is still possible in some cases. 

The process was initiated at the request of Loterj, which launched a public notice in Rio de Janeiro and has already authorised some companies. The grant was for usd 1 million. The issue has generated questions from other states and also from the Ministry of Finance.

According to companies in the sector, operators don't have the technological capacity to block websites in just one state in the country, which would make it impossible to comply with the court order. Anatel and companies in the sector are trying to overturn the decision.

The decision does not affect all betting sites, only those operating without specific authorisation in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Anatel  and the telecoms companies faced difficulties in implementing the blockade, highlighting the complexity of applying geographical restrictions on the web - most bets are currently hosted on servers outside the country.

Sports betting in Brazil was regulated by Law 14.790 of 2023. The bill had some parts vetoed by the government, but the main rules approved by Congress, such as the percentages charged to companies and bettors, were maintained. Understand the main rules here.

In May this year, the Ministry of Finance's Prize and Betting Secretariat published an ordinance authorising betting companies to operate in Brazil. To operate in the country, each company needs to pay usd 5 million - which grants a 5-year licence.