For more than a decade, the gaming and betting market in Peru operated in what authorities call the «gray era»: platforms without a specific regulatory framework, opaque transactions, and limited oversight capacity. Between 2007 and 2018, suspicious operations linked to illegal gaming and betting totaled approximately $216 million, according to data from the Financial Intelligence Unit of Peru (UIF) and the Superintendence of Banking, Insurance and AFP (SBS), analyzed by the consultancy Apuesta Legal.
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To put that figure into perspective: in a comparable ten-year period (2014–2024), illegal logging accumulated $136 million in reports to the UIF, and wildlife trafficking reached barely $5 million. Even before the digital boom, illegal betting already surpassed environmental crimes as a money laundering channel.
The turning point came in 2022 with the enactment of Law No. 31557, which began an accelerated process of formalization under the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR).
The numbers of the new regulated online gaming model in Peru
The fiscal results of the change are concrete. According to MINCETUR, the government received approximately $112 million in online gaming taxes during the analyzed period. These funds are distributed as follows: 40% goes to MINCETUR itself for oversight and tourism promotion; 20% to the Public Treasury; 20% to the Ministry of Health for mental health programs; and the remaining 20% to the Peruvian Sports Institute (IPD).
SUNAT data between January and November detail the sources of collection. The tax on remote sports betting was the main one, with $31,4 million. It was followed by the tax on slot machines, with $52,8 million, and the tax on remote games, with $24,4 million. The casino tax contributed $3,5 million.
Since the law came into force, the State authorized 54 technological platforms, registered 320 providers, and accredited 8 international laboratories. By May 2025, the number of authorized platforms reached 60, with 100% of their transactions being auditable.
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More formal venues, fewer illegal operations
The formalization process also advanced in the physical territory. Since December 2024, 1,756 new betting parlors were added to the official registry, bringing the total to 4,583 authorized venues nationwide. In parallel, authorities closed 4 illegal casino and slot machine halls, and 13 illegal sports betting venues, in addition to destroying 557 slot machines operating outside the legal framework.
A more robust anti-money laundering system
The regulation also strengthened financial supervision. As of August 2024, the UIF had already received 16,306 Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), driven in part by the inclusion of online betting houses and virtual asset operators as new reporting entities.
In October 2025, SBS Resolution No. 03622-2025 established a specific anti-money laundering prevention framework for the sector. The most relevant measures include the obligation to report to the UIF any operation, deposit, or prize exceeding $2,500; the sending of alerts within a maximum period of 24 hours; and the direct sanctioning power of MINCETUR to verify compliance with anti-money laundering protocols.
Peru, an exportable model for the region
The consultancy Apuesta Legal concludes that the Peruvian case represents a clear transition: from a scenario of difficult-to-trace operations to a model based on formalization, traceability, and active oversight. Historical data do not describe the present, but rather the structural risk that led the State to redesign its strategy against money laundering in the sector.
The Peruvian experience can serve as a reference for other countries in the region that do not yet have a comprehensive regulatory framework for iGaming, by demonstrating that formalization increases control capacity, reduces market opacity, and strengthens financial supervision.
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