Peru is one of the first countries in Latin America with a full licensing system for online casinos and sports betting. Since February 2024, only platforms authorised by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR) may offer these games to people in Peru. This guide explains how the system works, how to check whether a site is authorised, what protection you get as a player, how tax works and where to find help.
Is online gambling legal in Peru?
Yes, at authorised platforms. Law 31557, later amended by Law 31806, regulates online casino games and online sports betting. Its regulation, Supreme Decree 005-2023-MINCETUR, was published in October 2023, and the licensing regime has applied since February 2024.
Under the law, operators need an authorisation from MINCETUR for each platform and must meet technical, financial and responsible gambling requirements. Operating without an authorisation is an offence. MINCETUR can impose fines of up to 990,000 soles on unauthorised operators, and the law also provides for criminal penalties.
Playing is open to adults aged 18 and over. Minors and people listed in the national register of prohibited persons may not open accounts at authorised platforms.
Who regulates online casinos in Peru?
MINCETUR is the competent authority. Within the ministry, the Dirección General de Juegos de Casino y Máquinas Tragamonedas (DGJCMT) grants authorisations, supervises operators and handles enforcement. The same directorate has supervised land-based casinos and slot halls for many years.
Tax on online gaming is collected by SUNAT. Licensed operators pay a selective consumption tax (ISC) of 12% on their net monthly gaming revenue, and foreign companies running platforms for Peruvian players fall within this tax as well.
How do you check whether a gambling site is authorised?
MINCETUR publishes the list of authorised operators and their platforms on its official website. The list is the only reliable reference: a site that is not on it is not allowed to offer gambling in Peru, whatever it says about itself.
Unauthorised sites sometimes copy the name or design of a licensed brand. Always compare the exact web address, not only the brand name.
- Open the MINCETUR website and find the list of authorised remote gaming and sports betting platforms.
- Search for the operator and compare the exact domain shown on the list with the address in your browser.
- Check that the site displays its MINCETUR authorisation and the operator's company details.
- Look for responsible gambling tools such as deposit limits, time limits and self-exclusion, which licensed platforms must offer.
- If a site is not on the list, do not register or deposit.
What happens to unauthorised platforms?
MINCETUR actively acts against platforms without an authorisation. Unauthorised websites, IP addresses and apps can be blocked with the support of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, and in 2025 MINCETUR instructed payment providers and financial institutions to stop processing payments for unauthorised operators.
MINCETUR also pursues people and companies that promote illegal gambling, including through INDECOPI, the consumer and advertising authority. This is why legitimate advertising in Peru should only point to authorised platforms.
- Blocking of websites, IPs and apps of unauthorised operators
- Payment providers told not to serve unauthorised operators
- Fines of up to 990,000 soles and possible criminal penalties for illegal operation
- Action against those who promote illegal gambling
What are the risks of playing on an unauthorised site?
On an unauthorised site you lose the protections the Peruvian system gives you. MINCETUR cannot handle a complaint about a withheld withdrawal or a closed account, and there is no guarantee that the games are tested or that your money is kept separate from the operator's own funds.
Because these sites are being blocked and cut off from payment services, deposits and withdrawals can fail or be delayed, and the site itself can disappear. Unauthorised operators also have no obligation to check the national exclusion register, which removes an important safeguard for people who have chosen to stop gambling.
How does self-exclusion work in Peru?
Peru has a national register of people prohibited from accessing gambling, originally created for casinos and slot halls under Law 29907 on the prevention of gambling addiction. The online gaming law extends this protection to remote platforms: authorised operators must not let people on the register open an account or play.
You can ask MINCETUR to add you to the register. Authorised platforms must also offer their own tools, including deposit limits, session reminders and account self-exclusion. If you feel your gambling is getting out of hand, using both the national register and the platform's own tools gives you the strongest protection.
Do you pay tax on online gambling winnings in Peru?
The main tax in the online gaming law falls on operators: authorised platforms pay the 12% ISC on their net gaming revenue to SUNAT. Prizes paid out are deducted from that revenue before the tax is calculated.
Whether and how your personal winnings must be declared depends on your situation and the source of the prize. If you have large or regular winnings, keep records of your deposits and withdrawals and check with SUNAT or a tax adviser.
Where can you get help with gambling problems in Peru?
If gambling is affecting your money, work or relationships, reach out early. The Ministry of Health (MINSA) offers free mental health guidance by phone on line 113, option 5, and can refer you to community mental health centres (Centros de Salud Mental Comunitaria) for treatment, including for gambling problems.
You can also contact MINCETUR to register in the national exclusion register, and use the limit and self-exclusion tools in your account at any authorised platform. Self-help groups for gamblers and their families, such as Jugadores Anónimos, meet in several Peruvian cities.
- MINSA mental health line: 113, option 5
- Community mental health centres for treatment
- MINCETUR national exclusion register
- Account limits and self-exclusion at authorised platforms
Myths vs facts
- Myth: Any site that accepts soles and Yape is allowed in Peru.
- Fact: Only platforms on MINCETUR's list of authorised operators may offer online gambling in Peru.
- Myth: A foreign licence is enough to operate legally in Peru.
- Fact: Since February 2024 operators need a MINCETUR authorisation. A licence from another country does not replace it.
- Myth: The exclusion register only applies to physical casinos.
- Fact: Authorised online platforms must also block people on the national register from opening accounts.
- Myth: Unauthorised sites are tolerated as long as players are not prosecuted.
- Fact: MINCETUR blocks unauthorised sites, cuts off their payments and pursues those who promote them.
Before you claim
- Operator and exact domain found on MINCETUR's authorised list
- MINCETUR authorisation shown on the site
- Age 18 or over
- Deposit and time limits set before you play
- Exclusion register considered if you want to stop
- Records kept of deposits and withdrawals for tax
- MINSA help line 113, option 5 saved