Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) is reportedly preparing a draft law that would regulate online gambling and sports betting in the country, according to Roberto Sánchez, Head of the Ministry. The initiative could be evaluated by the Council of Ministers in the upcoming sessions.
The ministry in charge of the General Directorate of Casinos and Slot Machines, the local gambling regulator, wants online gambling activities to bring “benefits for society” since currently, both local and foreign companies operate without regulation or a tax framework in Peru.
Sánchez said that during 2020, the online sector generated $1.1bn in approximately 150k daily bets, as the La Republic reported. The Minister of Mincetur assured that if 12% of direct taxes are applied to online gambling, Peru could collect more than $40m a year.
He also said that, since the online activity is not regulated, capital flees from Peru to territories like Malta and Curaçao. By regulating online gambling and betting, and consequently collecting taxes, the tourism and sports sectors could benefit, according to Sánchez.
“The Government is working on reforms to bring benefits to the population. We respect free trade, but with responsible companies that pay taxes on gambling, consumption and online advertising. They’ll need to have authorized permits in Peru,” said the official.
The online gambling regulation will allow Peru to implement responsible gambling and player protection measures, as well as provisions to prevent money laundering and betting fraud.
If the initiative is discussed and approved, it is expected that the local regulator would be in charge of monitoring the sector.
In the Mincetur resolution 039/2022, dated February 28 but shared on March 1, Manuel San Román was removed from his role as head of the local regulator, and the following 040/2022 resolution placed Eduardo Alfonso Sevilla Echevarría as the Directorate’s new director.
Sevilla Echevarría recently served as GM of the National Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR) of Peru, and also has experience in different public sectors. He was National Superintendent of Migration for more than two years, while he also held several positions in the tourism field in Mincetur.
