Brazilian Councillor proposes blocking betting sites on public Wi-Fi

São Caetano do Sul councillor Caio Salgado has formally requested the blocking access to betting platforms on the municipality's public network. 

He has sent a bill to the city's Department of Management and Digital Government.

The proposal asks the city's IT Department (DTI) to evaluate adding fixed-odds betting sites to the list of content blocked by the public network's security filters.

Salgado's proposal targets both internal government systems and public access points, arguing the measure would help prevent the spread of gambling and promote responsible use of the city's technology infrastructure. 

Beyond government office computers and servers, he suggested extending the block to free Wi-Fi access points in squares, parks and other municipal facilities, though implementation there would depend on the DTI's technical feasibility assessment.

The proposal includes exceptions to avoid disrupting legitimate browsing needs.

 "The measure seeks to strengthen prevention and promote responsible use of municipal technology infrastructure," Salgado said, noting that access to blocked sites would remain available for verified administrative, educational or technical purposes with prior authorization from relevant authorities.

Salgado said the initiative responds to expert warnings about the rapid expansion of Brazil's digital gambling market, arguing that easy access to betting platforms via mobile devices requires preventive measures at the municipal level. 

"Problematic betting use can produce financial, family, professional and emotional harm," he said. The proposal now moves to City Hall's technical departments to assess the feasibility of implementing IP and DNS-level blocks.

Recently, Brazil's National Association of Games and Lotteries notified TikTok, X, Google and Meta, demanding a comprehensive plan to identify and remove influencer content promoting unlicensed betting operators.

In other legal and compliance news, Brazil's Ministry of Sports has partnered with IC360 to deploy its ProhiBet technology and integrity monitoring capabilities across Brazilian sports.