Chilean Supreme Court orders broader blocking of mirror gambling sites

(AsiaGameHub) –   Chile’s Supreme Court has issued a ruling requiring telecommunications service providers to block access not only to primary gambling websites, but also to these operators’ secondary mirror sites. This decision notably bolsters government efforts to eliminate illegal online gambling across the country.

Prior to this Supreme Court verdict, a ruling from the Santiago Appeals Court had found that telecom companies had fulfilled their required obligations. That lower court concluded that the firms had successfully blocked access to the main domains of unlicensed gambling operators.

The case originated from a legal action aimed at forcing major telecom providers including Claro, Entel, GTD, Movistar, WOM, and VTR to restrict access to gambling websites that are currently illegal to operate in Chile.

While the telecom companies had complied with orders to block access to the primary URLs of targeted sites, they argued that restricting access to secondary mirror sites would present technical challenges and carry a risk of unintended disruptions to other unrelated internet services. The Appeals Court agreed with this argument, ruling that only primary domains needed to be blocked under existing orders, and closed the case as resolved.

The Supreme Court rejected the reasoning put forward by the Appeals Court. It determined that prior rulings had not been sufficiently implemented, leaving unlicensed gambling services accessible to users because the original blocking orders had only been partially carried out.

The Supreme Court also pointed out an additional error in the lower court’s ruling: the Appeals Court had stated that full enforcement of the blocking orders was impracticable, while at the same time declaring the matter fully resolved and closed.

In a notable development, the Supreme Court upheld a complaint against the appellate judges, citing “serious fault or abuse” in their handling of the case. This move underscores the top court’s strict stance on ensuring effective enforcement for matters involving unregulated digital activity.

The case has now been sent back to the Court of Appeals for reconsideration, with explicit instructions to guarantee full compliance with all required blocking measures.

Under the Supreme Court’s revised interpretation of the requirements, telecom companies are now obligated to:

• Identify and block mirror and alternative domains operated by illegal gambling platforms
• Ensure that access restrictions are applied to more than just primary URLs of targeted sites
• Roll out more comprehensive technical measures to prevent users from circumventing the blocks
• Wider Implications

By mandating the blocking of both primary and mirror sites for illegal gambling operators, Chile’s Supreme Court has set a new precedent for digital regulation enforcement. The decision reflects a shift toward stricter regulatory oversight, and signals that partial compliance will no longer be considered acceptable when addressing unlicensed online gambling.