Chilean Lawmakers Call for Suspension of Online Betting Advertising on TV
Chilean lawmakers Eduardo Cretton and Marco Antonio Sulantay have requested the National Television Council (CNTV) to suspend all advertising for online betting companies on all TV channels. The request follows as Chile is pushing through the blocking of domains that are not currently under its jurisdiction.
Chilean lawmakers said the measure does not send a clear signal: while the betting sites get the green light to have access to popular TV screens, the courts are trying to stop users from accessing illegal sites. Sulantay said it was “absolutely incoherent” that there could be ongoing enforcement while advertising was being done.
Sulantay stated in a “social” post: “It doesn’t make sense to prohibit them while, at the same time, we are giving a good opportunity to these companies to advertise online betting to Chileans, which is what these companies are doing.”
Advertising Debate Follows Judicial Action
Weeks after a legal battle regarding the online gambling legality in Chile, the request was made to CNTV. There is currently no specific licensing regime for private online betting operators in the country, and the legislators are still debating a law to introduce rules for the industry.
Meanwhile, the Court of Appeals of Santiago has recently created a mechanism for blocking domains in the Domain Name System (DNS), to which the large majority of sites are connected and used. The mechanism is designed to help control online platforms serving the gaming and betting sector that are not part of the laws in force.
The procedure will involve the Superintendence of Casinos and Gambling (SCJ) as a key player in validating websites that are deemed to be potentially unauthorized gambling sites. After that, the information is checked, and the appropriate domains are put on a list that will have to be blocked by telecommunications providers.
Authorities Seek to Address New Domains
There is also a judicial mechanism to tackle attempts by operators to evade the restrictions. After the initial blocking order, the process allows for the identification of new domain names, subdomains, or equivalent addresses that may appear.
This is another layer to the ongoing debate on regulations in Chile. The courts are still working out ways to enforce the ban on platforms that are deemed as “unauthorized“, while Congress is still holding a hearing to explore legislation that would create a formal licensing system and would set the conditions under which online betting would be able to operate.
Issues discussed include regulatory oversight, consumer protection, and operator responsibilities in the legislative discussion. The result will have a final impact on the future of online gambling in Chile.
Television Advertising Becomes Part of the Wider Dispute
The call for a ban on TV betting advertising is thus an additional part of the battle over online betting. Restriction of access to unauthorized platforms should go hand-in-hand with restraints on its visibility and promotion in mainstream media for the lawmakers.
The whole project also puts the CNTV at the center of a wider debate concerning the relationship between advertising, judicial enforcement, and future regulation. The legislators said that television should no longer offer substantial advertising of platforms, as the legal status and the regulations of online wagering are still being debated.
The lawmakers concluded that they hope the CNTV will continue to do what it has already done and act with the determination needed to not allow them to continue in complete impunity.
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