Hundreds of unauthorised betting domains were identified in Brazil within two days of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva introducing a nationwide prohibition on fixed-odds betting, highlighting the enforcement challenge facing authorities as the regulated market is dismantled.
Monitoring by Bet Legal, operated in partnership with cybersecurity company Iron Security, recorded 415 additional unauthorised domains between the evening of 25 September and 27 September. The number being monitored increased from 295 at 6pm on Friday to 710 by 7:10pm on Sunday, a rise of 141%.
Saturday accounted for the largest increase, with 294 domains identified in a single day. A further 65 were recorded on Sunday. Bet Legal’s system combines information from Brazil’s federal and state official gazettes with notifications submitted to telecoms regulator Anatel, while carrying out technical checks involving connectivity, security protocols and domain ownership.
The figures represent domains detected by the monitoring system rather than necessarily proving that every address was newly registered during the period. A single operator can also use numerous variations of the same domain.
The increase followed Lula’s signing of Provisional Measure 1,394 on 25 September. The measure prohibits the operation, offering, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds betting throughout Brazil, covering both sports betting and online casino games, including services operated from overseas for customers located in the country. State and Federal District authorisations are also covered by the prohibition.
Brazilian authorities have simultaneously stepped up action against offshore and unauthorised operators. By 29 September, the Justice and Finance ministries said they had requested the removal of 5,209 gambling-related domains in a coordinated enforcement operation. That total included 3,823 domains identified by the Finance Ministry’s Secretariat of Prizes and Betting and another 1,386 referred by the Justice Ministry.
An earlier government task force also removed 506 suspected illegal betting sites following publication of the measure and identified 43 Telegram channels and groups promoting unauthorised gambling to more than 212,000 members.
Before the nationwide prohibition was introduced, the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting had already submitted 57,691 addresses to Anatel for restriction between 1 January and 22 September, according to data reported by Poder360.
Industry group ANJL has argued that banning licensed operators could shift bettors towards unregulated alternatives rather than eliminate demand. That position reflects the association’s view and is contested within the broader debate over the government’s prohibition. Authorities, meanwhile, have continued combining website blocking with financial and digital enforcement against illegal operators.