Peru has intensified its crackdown on illegal gambling through a series of enforcement operations that exposed how physical establishments continue to function as access points for unlicensed sports betting and unauthorized slot machine operations.
The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur), through the General Directorate of Casino Games and Slot Machines (DGJCMT), shut down six illegal venues in the regions of Loreto and Cusco, with support from the Peruvian National Police (PNP), in one of the most significant gaming enforcement actions of 2026.
In Loreto, inspections focused on the district of Ramón Castilla, where regulators closed establishments operating sports betting activities without government authorization. During the operation, authorities seized 24 computer terminals used to facilitate online betting outside the regulated framework and later confiscated 19 slot machines from another illegal venue. Investigators determined that the businesses lacked licenses issued by Mincetur to operate online gaming, sports betting or casino-related activities.
The case in Cusco revealed an even more sensitive issue. In the district of Espinar, DGJCMT inspectors shut down three establishments and confiscated approximately 26 slot machines designed for minors, a practice expressly prohibited under Peruvian law. The enforcement action was carried out under Law No. 29149, which criminalizes the operation, manufacture, assembly, importation and commercialization of slot machines targeted at children and minors.
The regulatory foundation for the operation includes Law No. 27153, which has regulated casino gaming and slot machines since 1999, Law No. 27796, Supreme Decree No. 009-2002-MINCETUR, and Law No. 31557, which established Peru’s regulatory framework for online gaming and sports betting, later amended through Law No. 31806. These measures helped transform Peru into one of Latin America’s most significant regulated online betting markets, with more than 60 licensed operators and a specific 12% tax regime applied to online gambling activities.
José Fernando Reyes Llanos
The enforcement strategy is led by Yuri Guerra Padilla, Director General of the DGJCMT, under the supervision of José Fernando Reyes Llanos, Peru’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism since February 2026. With these actions, Mincetur reported that it has already ordered the closure of 10 illegal sports betting venues and three illegal slot machine halls during 2026, reinforcing a policy that in 2025 resulted in the closure of 13 illegal betting venues, four unauthorized casino halls and the destruction of 557 gaming machines operating outside the regulated system.
The economic context explains the intensity of the crackdown. Peru’s regulated gambling market continues to expand following the implementation of Law No. 31557, while authorities seek to protect an industry that generates hundreds of millions in tax revenue and faces increasing pressure from unlicensed operators. For regulators, the priority is no longer limited to licensing online platforms; the objective is to dismantle the physical network that supports the illegal ecosystem of sports betting and slot machine operations outside the authorized market.
