“The gambling activity in Peru is an example within Latin America”: Yuri Guerra, MINCETUR

Yuri Guerra has 23 years of experience in the gaming sector. At the beginning of the conference, he stressed that his intention is to transmit confidence to the operators, and added that it is the most formalized activity in the country, both landbased and online.

“For us as a regulator it is important to work on this activity, because what we want to convey is confidence. We are a state that generates the technical capacity so that you as entrepreneurs can develop your activity. There are approximately 120,000 jobs that are moving with this economic activity. Therefore, there are 120,000 families that make a living from this activity. “We are the most important and most formalized industry in the country,” he stated. “That is a source of pride for us as a country, as a regulator,” he added.

“This regulation of sports betting and remote gaming is a regulation that we understand to be dynamic, practical, simple and modular. Surely some improvements will have to be made over time, but we believe that it is one of the best regulations and we proudly boast of that because we have worked together, not only the regulator, but it has sat down with each of you and we have worked the private sector and the state as a team for the benefit of the nation, of the end users, with the generation of employment and a tax that will reach each of the specific places where it has been proposed, to the provincial and local municipalities , to MINCETUR, to the topic of sports and mental health."

He emphasized that there is direct support from the sector for the economic reactivation of the country. He then began his presentation, aimed especially at businessmen who have come to invest in Peru. He summarized the regulatory part, recalling that the regulation dates back 25 years.

“Over time, the modifications have allowed casino and slot machine activity to be 100% formal. We managed to move the activity from 3% to 100% formality, and thanks to teamwork, it is an example in Latin America,” said Guerra, who clarified that it is not only part of entertainment but also of the tourism sector. “Later, with Law 31557, everything related to remote gaming and sports betting is regulated. This standard was also worked on jointly between the regulator, suppliers, businessmen and all those who have given their contribution,” he stated.

“Regulation is born from the need to seek the common good for each and every one of the actors involved in the activity: the businessman, who invests in the country, the player, who has clear rules to know that there is a regulator, who has that confidence of playing on a platform and in a room that has authorization,” he added.

Then he talked about the issue of protecting vulnerable groups and outlines what traditional gambling and online gambling mean to the law and also outlined actions to combat illegal gambling.

The general management is responsible for evaluating and issuing authorizations in the shortest possible time, Guerra clarifies.

“Last year we had around 9,000 administrative procedures attended to,” he says, adding “We try to attend to the administrator in the shortest possible time within what is established by the standard.” He also added that the officials of the general directorate travel throughout the country, identifying establishments that do not comply with the standard, highlighting that the role of the regulator is to offer entrepreneurs in the sector healthy and fair competition.

Guerra also added other functions of the Casino Directorate: the evaluation of the prevention of money laundering, the registration of people who consider that they have the vice of gambling and the organization of prevention talks in schools, explaining that this is an activity entertainment that must have control. Another activity they carry out is the seizure and destruction of slot machines.

Then he gave special thanks to former regulator Miguel San Román, who, according to Guerra, contributed to the regulator understanding that businessmen are strategic allies, and to having a defined policy for the sector, equal treatment and clear and fair rules for everyone. “With 16 years of service, he managed to change the mentality of the regulator.”

“Our line is for the regulator to be successful, and for our activity in Peru to be successful,” Guerra reaffirmed, who commented that the regulator has made more than 6 thousand inspection visits during the past year throughout the entire country. with only 96 sanctions.

In addition, he commented on some improvements that have been made in the procedures and how the regulator's activity will continue this year. “We are working on the homologation procedures,” he added.

“The challenge we have from now on is to succees with the regulation of sports betting,” he said, and gave details of the activity's operation.

Finally, he stressed MINCETUR's commitment to businessmen, suppliers, operators and laboratories to expedite the procedures necessary for the development of the activity in the country.