The regulatory standard aims to guarantee that the exploitation of these activities is carried out in a transparent, honest and upright manner. Furthermore, another of its purposes is to ensure and protect vulnerable populations through control measures and responsible gaming policies.

But what are these measures and what do they consist of? In this article I tell you all the details in the simplest way possible.

Not without first informing you of the current situation of Law No. 31557.

When will Law No. 31557 Come into Force
Although the regulation has already been approved, Mincetur points out that the Law will come into force 120 days after Supreme Decree No. 005-2023-MINCETUR is published, that is, on February 9, 2024.

On the other hand, during the period between February 10 and March 10, operating companies must submit an application to Mincetur to obtain operating authorization.

Only those companies that obtain an operating authorization will be able to operate legally in Peruvian territory.

Player Protection and Vulnerable Populations
According to point 2.2 of Article 2 of the Law, the second most important purpose of the Online Betting Law is to protect the most vulnerable sectors of the population.

And how will they do it? The document indicates that this will be achieved through access controls for minors and policies that seek to prevent the development of addictive behaviors.

Responsible Gaming: Game carried out for recreational and social integration purposes that does not alter the behavior of the person in their personal, family, work and/or social spheres.

That said, one of the obligations that bookmakers must fulfill is to promote responsible gambling and establish opt-out procedures.

In other words, platforms must give users the ability to stop playing whenever they want and for as long as they consider appropriate.

Next, I will tell you what are the specific measures that Mincetur will carry out so that these guidelines are met.

Measures that Betting Sites Must Comply with
First, Mincetur requests that online betting houses and casinos establish policies and procedures that can be applied to players whose gambling behavior shows signs of risk.

Additionally, employees who interact directly with players on digital platforms must be trained to understand the issues associated with gambling.

But that's not all, they must also be prepared to know how to respond in these types of situations.

People Who Cannot Participate in Online Betting
The people who cannot participate in betting sites according to Article 28 of Chapter VI of Law No. 31557 are the following:

Minors in Peru, that is, people under 18 years of age.

People registered in the Registry of Persons Prohibited from Accessing Establishments Destined for the Exploitation of Casino Games and Slot Machines.

People who are not registered on the technological platforms of remote gaming or remote sports betting.

Responsible Gaming Policies in Peru

The responsible gaming policies that operators in Peru must follow are the following:

Promote responsible gaming guidelines.

Establish voluntary exclusion procedures on technological platforms for remote gaming or sports betting.

Next, I share with you what the guidelines or lines of action for responsible gaming are.

Lines of Action for Responsible Gaming
In addition to the mandatory policies and procedures, betting sites must promote the lines of action that I show you below.

Important: Betting houses that do not promote responsible gaming guidelines and establish voluntary exclusion procedures will be fined a total of 50 UIT up to 150 UIT.

Awareness
Raise awareness and inform the population about the characteristics of pathological gambling and its risks.

In addition, a call is made to disseminate preventive measures and the availability of access to free treatment of assistive devices.

Prevention
Implement actions aimed at educating and raising awareness about responsible gaming behaviors, with the aim of minimizing risks and guaranteeing the protection of vulnerable groups.

Also, it is requested to promote healthy play in children, adolescents and the elderly through the creation of recreational spaces.

Guidance and Assistance
Guarantee access to information and interdisciplinary treatment of gambling addiction through different assistance devices.

Investigation
Develop lines of research in relation to the expansion of gaming and new modalities that arise as a result of market advances.

Likewise, the studies carried out on the prevalence of pathological gambling and the behavior of gamblers must be further explored.

Measures in Other Countries of the Region
Peru is one of the first countries in Latin America to approve a Law that regulates online betting houses and casinos.