In 2022, the President of the Republic of Peru signed Law 31557 to regulate online gambling and sports betting in the country. This enactment had a great impact on the iGaming business in Peru. SOFTSWISS Regional Business Development Manager, Jonathan Felix Vilchez, gives his expert view and draws the first conclusions about the resulting changes in the comment below.

The Peruvian gambling market is one of the most lucrative destinations for international investors seeking new grounds to land their projects in the iGaming sector. Over the last five years, the Peruvian market has seen the sports betting and online gaming sector grow exponentially, especially during the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For this reason, in July 2022, the Congress of the republic approved the law to govern remote sports betting and online games. In August of the same year, the government finalised Law No. 31557 to regulate this activity, designating MINCETUR as the regulatory body,  which is currently in the process of preparing the related technical regulations.

With the Law approved, Peru has become the fourth country in the region to regulate this market (after Colombia, Panama and Argentina). According to the preliminary estimates, this sector’s share in the national GDP structure is 0.7% on average and is projected to grow more than 1.5% a year in the coming years. That is why our country, same as Brazil, has become an attractive destination in the region for local and global investments.

As in any other regulatory process, there are some aspects of the law that need to be adjusted and clarified. In this respect, in November 2022, congresswoman Lady Camones presented draft law 3595-2022 which includes a number of important clarifications that, in my opinion, would be a valuable addition to Law 31557 and which, once in force, would help consolidate, grow and mature the Peruvian market to generate more revenue for the state through the rights of use.

So, I expect that this important change will be very productive for the stakeholders and that it will give everyone an insight into the law, the current market, the challenges associated with the enactment and the opportunities for national and international companies in this new phase of the regulated market.

I believe that it is an important opportunity for major global iGaming providers, such as SOFTSWISS, who are committed to the industry and regulated markets, to become part of the process. They can contribute to the development and strengthening of the Peruvian market through their expertise and by designing and adapting their solutions to this type of market, regulators, operators and players.

SOFTSWISS, a leading tech company for the iGaming industry, will be showcasing its solutions and offerings at the following events in Latin America: GAT Expo (29-30 March, Colombia), SAGSE LatAm (19-20 April, Argentina) and CGS LATAM ( 30-31 May, Chile). All visitors are invited to book a meeting with the company’s business development managers and find out more about SOFTSWISS’ innovative products and solutions.

About Jonathan Daniel Felix Vilchez

Jonathan Félix Vilchez is an international executive with over 20 years of experience in the gambling industry in Latin America. He has been working for international companies with operations in Peru. In addition, he has advised international companies based in the United States, Europe and Asia on the development of businesses and projects in the Latin American region. He is CEO of Global Business Company de Perú S.A.C. https://globalbusinesslatam.com/, a company based in Peru, specialising in consulting and business development in the gaming and financial sectors. He currently serves as Regional Business Development Manager in LatAm of the international iGaming firm SOFTSWISS.

About SOFTSWISS 

SOFTSWISS is an international iGaming company supplying certified software solutions for managing gambling operations. The expert team, which counts 1,500+ employees, is based in Malta, Poland, Georgia, and Belarus.  SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides one-stop-shop iGaming software solutions. The company has a vast product portfolio, including the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with thousands of casino games, the Affilka affiliate platform, the Sportsbook Platform and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS was the first in the world to introduce a bitcoin-optimised online casino solution.