Betano, one of the most important sports betting and online gaming operators and holder of the naming rights for the 2024 Brasileirão, has had its website blocked since last Monday (22) in Rio de Janeiro. The company informed its customers that it is taking the appropriate legal measures to reverse the decision in court.
Note from Betano
We regret to inform you that the decision by the National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL) response to the lawsuit filed by the Rio de Janeiro State Lottery (LOTERJ) temporarily affected our operations exclusively in the state of Rio de Janeiro, harming our customers by disregarding current federal legislation.
As a result, BETANO took the appropriate legal and judicial measures, confident that the Judiciary would annul the decision, ensuring the transition period, in compliance with federal regulations. On July 19, we obtained a first injunction requiring Loterj not to sanction BETANO, and we remain optimistic that this issue will be resolved quickly, as well as the reinstatement of the platform.
We will keep everyone informed throughout the process.
We also reinforce that we are committed to the regulation of the sector in Brazil, which will come into effect as of January 1, 2025, and we hope to reinstate the platform as soon as possible.
If you have been affected by this situation, please contact us at [email protected]
Betano informs that it has taken the appropriate legal measures and obtained an injunction from the Federal Court to suspend the administrative sanctioning processes of Loterj against unlicensed websites in Rio de Janeiro.
The first company to submit a request for a license to operate sports betting and online gaming in Brazil, Betano intends to reverse the blocking of the website in Rio de Janeiro and asks for the understanding of its customers, also informing that “we are committed to the regulation of the sector in Brazil, which will come into effect from January 1, 2025, and we hope to reestablish the platform as soon as possible.”
However, the lawsuit filed by Betano against the blocking of the website in Rio de Janeiro has not yet been judged, which may happen in a few days. As there is a judicial recess, the measure may take longer than usual because the Court first analyzes the most urgent cases in a “judicial on-call” system.
The Loterj lawsuit against unlicensed sports betting and online gaming companies in Rio de Janeiro already has more than 300 sites listed as not authorized to operate in the state.
Since Monday (22), the sites cannot be accessed via mobile data from Claro, Vivo and Tim, while in some cases they can still be accessed via Wi-Fi. Operators that use Oi's network have even reported that they were also blocked outside of Rio de Janeiro, demonstrating that there really are technical difficulties with geolocation blocking.
The National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) received a Federal Court order for internet providers in Rio de Janeiro to block all URLs at the state level. The technical difficulties encountered by providers have caused blockages outside of the state, and in recent days a number of sites have gone offline, not only in Rio de Janeiro.
Source: GMB
