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A total of 80 operators can keep offering online gambling in Peru through a transitional period after submitting applications during a recent licensing window, according to a list published by Peruvian regulators.
The list of applicants seeking to operate remote gaming and sports betting on a transitional basis was published this past weekend by Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Commerce and Tourism (Mincetur), following the closing of an initial licensing window on March 13.
Under the transitional provisions of a regulatory decree adopted last October, operators that submit complete applications within the 30-day licensing period will not be subject to enforcement actions if they keep offering bets to Peruvians while their licences are being processed and platforms undergo technical inspections.
The list of 80 white-listed operators includes corporate entities associated with leading international brands bet365, Betano, Betsson and Stake, as well as the Free Games BV parent company of local hero Apuesta Total. Most of the named groups are holding companies registered in Peru or international jurisdictions such as Curaçao.
In a separate statement released on Friday (March 15), Mincetur said it had received applications from a total of 145 companies seeking a licence to operate online gaming or sports betting in Peru in accordance with a new law that was initially enacted in mid-2022 but only became effective in February.
The ministry did not reply to a request from Vixio GamblingCompliance to clarify the difference between the 80 named applicants and the larger number cited by Mincetur in its statement.
Mincetur also said a total of 144 companies had registered since February 13 to be a service provider supplying systems, games, payments or other technologies to support the forthcoming regulated market in Peru.
A further seven companies have registered as independent testing laboratories to offer certification services, with providers so far submitting a total of 184 certification requests for their platforms, gaming programs, progressive systems and online casino games.
Mincetur maintains active registers of both service providers and certification bodies on the website of its gambling department.
In its statement, the ministry said that any operators that failed to apply within 30 days and which continue to serve the Peruvian market will now be liable to enforcement actions that include fines and criminal complaints.
The total number of initial applications received is a “clear sign that the regulation of this activity has been successful”, Mincetur said.
“Regulating [online gambling] is an important step that Peru is taking, not just for the economic activity that it generates and the tax revenue it will provide, but also for the need to grant security to those citizens that register to use these platforms,” stated Juan Carlos Mathews, Peru’s tourism minister.
Although it is far from certain that all 145 will receive a licence, the number of applicants does suggest that Peru will become by far the most competitive regulated online gambling market in Latin America, at least until new legislation is fully implemented in Brazil.
Colombia, by comparison, currently has just 15 licensed operators following recent exits by Flutter and Mozzartbet.
Under Peru’s law, operators will be required to pay a headline tax of 12 percent of revenue and provide an annual operating guarantee in the amount of 600 national tax units, or approximately US$800,000.
Peru’s unregulated online gambling and sports-betting markets received more than US$1bn in total bets in 2022, according to Mincetur.
