Peru's Mincetur drafts rules to lower maximum online gambling fines to 70 UIT and tighten advertising

Peru's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, known as Mincetur, has published a draft regulation for public consultation that would change how online gambling operators are penalised and supervised. The draft, released on October 21, would amend the rules implementing Law No. 31557.

Under the current system, fines can reach 50 Tax Units (UIT) for minor offences, 150 UIT for serious offences and 200 UIT for very serious offences. The proposal would instead set ranges of one to 11 UIT for minor violations, one to 35 UIT for serious ones and one to 70 UIT for very serious ones. Mincetur would keep the power to revoke licences or bar operators for up to 10 years or indefinitely. Fines would reflect factors such as illegitimate gains, harm, intent, market and consumer impact, repeat offences and the operator's financial capacity. In most cases they would not exceed 10% of the previous year's revenue, with exceptions for repeat offenders and illegal sites or venues. Operators that admit guilt could receive discounts of 50% before the final investigation report, 35% before the sanctioning decision and 25% for paying without appeal, though repeat offenders would not qualify.

On advertising, only games, betting services and platforms with valid Mincetur authorisation could be promoted, and materials would have to show the licence origin and number. Ads aimed at minors would be banned, as would claims that gambling is a way to earn a living or solve financial problems, or that it brings social status, success or attractiveness. Digital and audiovisual content would need to show responsible gambling warnings for at least five seconds, and static or printed ads would have to devote at least 10% of the space to a legible warning. Influencers would need to avoid campaigns aimed at largely young audiences, and agencies, third parties and influencers hired by licensed operators would be held accountable. INDECOPI would monitor advertising violations, while Mincetur would oversee platforms and venues under its jurisdiction.

The technical changes would remove the requirement to pre-configure permanent usernames and passwords, shorten the minimum password length from eight characters to four, extend full re-authentication from 30 days to six months and move automated checks of critical software from every 24 hours to every 30 days. Mincetur could request access to systems, databases and reports during inspections, seek detailed data on deposits, withdrawals, prizes, bonuses, odds, markets, player accounts and suppliers, and seize assets used in unauthorised operations.

Speaking to SBC Noticias at the IAGR 2026 conference in Lima, Yuri Guerra Padilla, director general of Mincetur's casino and slot machine gaming division, said the government is working on measures to strengthen betting advertising rules, review the Selective Consumption Tax (ISC) and improve institutional coordination on responsible gambling. He added that tighter advertising rules could follow if the first measures do not curb over-advertising. The draft remains open for public comment.