Uruguay just days away from online gambling domain blocking

Uruguay will follow through on its threat to begin blocking international online gambling sites within days, according to the state-owned gambling monopoly.

Last September, Uruguay’s President Tabaré Vázquez signed legislation banning all online gambling except the Supermatch sports betting product offered by the National Directorate of Lotteries and Quinielas (DNLQ). The legislation also authorized the state to impose enforcement measures including blocking the domains of unauthorized gambling sites.

On Wednesday, local media outlet El Pais quoted DNLQ chief Luis Gama that his office had identified a number of offending domains, which would be subject to blocking “in the coming days.” Gama cited UK online betting giant Bet365 and GVC Holdings’ Bwin brand – don’t forget GVC’s Sportingbet – as among the most popular international sites with Uruguayan punters.

To achieve its objectives, the DNLQ has teamed with telecom authority Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones (Ursec) and local internet service providers, but also with the Banco Central del Uruguay and credit card companies to properly frustrate Uruguayan punters’ efforts to continue patronizing their favorite sites.