TLDR
- Polla Chilena de Beneficencia filed complaints with Chile’s advertising ethics body against agencies promoting unregulated online betting platforms
- Complaints target agencies behind campaigns for Coolbet, Betano, Jugabet, and Rojabet
- The operator raised concerns about gambling ads targeting young people and lacking responsible gambling messages
- Chile still has no finalized regulatory framework for online gambling as Congress continues debating legislation
- Polla Chilena also filed a money laundering claim earlier this year against payment processors tied to illegal gambling
Chile’s state lottery operator, Polla Chilena de Beneficencia, has filed formal complaints against several advertising agencies it accuses of promoting illegal online betting platforms in the country.
The complaints were submitted to the Consejo de Autorregulación y Ética Publicitaria, known as Conar, which oversees advertising ethics in Chile.
Polla Chilena argued that the ad campaigns violate Chile’s Advertising Ethics Code by promoting gambling platforms that do not have legal authorization to operate in the country.
The operator also raised concerns that the campaigns normalize betting among young people and fail to include responsible gambling messaging.
Ad Agencies Named in the Complaints
Among the agencies targeted is Enelblanco.TV, which created campaigns for Coolbet featuring former Chile national football team captain Claudio Bravo. One of the ads reportedly includes a minor.
Ampfy was accused of developing advertisements for Betano that aired on sports television channels. Polla Chilena claimed these ads could lead viewers to treat online betting as a casual form of entertainment while ignoring the financial risks.
Draff.tv was also named for creating a campaign for Jugabet that uses gaming-style visuals. The complaint alleges these ads are designed to attract younger audiences by framing betting as just another mobile phone activity.
PartnerProd.cl, which produced TV commercials for Rojabet, was included as well. Those commercials show people watching football with live betting odds appearing on screen during matches.
Polla Chilena said this approach normalizes betting for younger generations and sports fans who watch football regularly.
The operator stressed that none of these commercials contained responsible gambling warnings.
No Regulatory Framework Yet in Place
The complaints come as Chile’s Congress continues to debate legislation that would create a licensing framework for online gambling operators.
Without a finalized regulatory framework, advertising by unlicensed platforms remains in a legal gray area.
The growing number of betting ads on Chilean television and digital platforms has drawn increasing attention from regulators and the state lottery operator alike.
This is not the first time Polla Chilena has taken action against illegal gambling activity. In February, the operator filed a money laundering claim against payment processing companies linked to unauthorized gambling operations.
That complaint named six individuals acting as legal representatives for the payment processors. They were accused of handling financial transactions for operators without gambling authorization in Chile.
Polla Chilena noted that many online gambling platforms use third-party companies based abroad to process payments. This makes it difficult to pursue legal action since these entities operate outside Chilean jurisdiction.
The state lottery operator has positioned itself as the main enforcer against illegal gambling in Chile while the country works toward establishing formal regulations for the industry.
Congress has not set a timeline for when the online gambling legislation will be finalized.
