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The Santiago Court of Appeals has upheld a sanction against Universidad de Chile and Chilevisión for airing sports betting commercials during minor protection hours. The sentence, as ratified by the court’s Ninth Chamber, rejected a legal appeal from the university, thereby obligating it to pay a fine of 20 Monthly Tax Units (UTM), which is worth approximately CLP 1,378,460 or USD 1,430.
The sanction regards the broadcast of a sports betting advertisement aired from 21:03:15 to 21:03:34 on November 4, 2023. In Chilean broadcast policy, this time slot is still within the protected audience hours introduced for safeguarding minors against content that may be inappropriate or potentially harmful.
Court Highlights Vulnerability of Young Audiences
The court, in its ruling, stated that although the plaintiffs claimed that the advert was not a health hazard, the broadcast of such content during hours set aside for the welfare of minors is a clear infringement. The ruling highlighted the potential influence of gambling advertisements on younger TV viewers who lack the maturity to distinguish between the financial and mental risks of gambling.
The court held that even incidental exposure to gambling promotions had the potential to contribute to the normalization of gambling attitudes in young people and that this type of broadcast during prohibited hours must be rigorously regulated and sanctioned where necessary.
Recurrent Violations and Broader Context
This latest ruling is added to a growing list of sanctions against Universidad de Chile and Chilevisión. A previous sanction, confirmed in February 2025, was for the broadcast of online betting advertisements on November 21, 2023, between 18:50:28 and 18:50:58, also during protected hours. These repeated infractions point to a pattern of contempt for the established regulations regarding advertisement timing.
Aside from this incident, CNTV has been increasingly vigilant in monitoring and penalizing broadcasters for the same infractions. By way of another illustration, DirecTV was sanctioned for airing ads of Rojabet, Betsson, and Xperto throughout the broadcast of TNT Sports on September 3, 2023, between 13:21:14 and 13:32:58—another protected time slot.
Moreover, in October 2024, the Court of Appeals also confirmed a fine for Entel Telefonía Local S.A., again due to ads aired through TNT Sports during the same September 3 broadcast, between 13:21:03 and 13:32:46. Such simultaneous violations across different platforms and broadcasters suggest an endemic issue within the Chilean media landscape of gambling-related content.
A Regulatory Turning Point for Gambling Ads
The streak of rulings reflects ongoing worry on the part of Chilean authorities regarding the exposure of minors to gambling material. With sports betting’s popularity expanding across Latin America, Chile’s regulators appear determined to set a clear boundary on when and where such ads can be shown.
These arrive at a time when sports betting is under increasing examination for its implications for mental health, specifically among younger generations. Regulators have again stressed the importance of maintaining strict controls, especially as gambling websites expand their advertising reach through sporting sponsorships and online media.
Overcoming the Need for Greater Compliance and Responsibility
The ratification of these sanctions underscores the responsibility of broadcasters and advertisers to comply with Chilean law, and particularly to protect vulnerable groups. The rulings send the unequivocal message that even momentary violations—of a duration of seconds only—will result in substantial sanctions.
As Chile continues to evolve its regulatory landscape for gambling content, these judicial precedents can have a foundational role to play in shaping industry practice and public awareness over the next few years.
Source: YogoNet
