Peru blocks 50 more unlicensed online gambling platforms, taking the 2026 total to 86
Peru's trade and tourism ministry MINCETUR, working with the transport and communications ministry, has blocked a further 50 remote gaming and sports betting platforms that were serving Peruvian users without authorisation. The ministry puts the running total at 86 of the 157 planned for this year and says the campaign has cut the illegal online supply by more than half. Anyone playing online poker from Peru should check that the site they use holds a MINCETUR authorisation, because an unauthorised one can disappear behind an ISP block without notice.
The official state gazette El Peruano reported on 2 October 2026 that MINCETUR, through its Dirección General de Juegos de Casino y Máquinas Tragamonedas, had blocked 50 more technology platforms offering remote gaming and sports betting to Peruvian users without the required authorisation. The action was carried out together with the Ministry of Transport and Communications, which is the route by which a blocking order reaches internet providers, and the stated purpose is to enforce Ley N.° 31557, the law that regulates remote gaming and sports betting in Peru.
The ministry describes the 50 as part of a wider enforcement programme: 86 platforms blocked so far against 157 planned for the year, which it says has removed more than half of the illegal online supply. Alongside the blocking it reports having had game content and payment methods linked to unauthorised sites taken down, which it frames as the measure that bites hardest on an operator's ability to keep trading.
What this means for a poker player in Peru
Peru is a licensed market, not a prohibited one. Remote gaming is lawful when the operator holds a MINCETUR authorisation, and the enforcement here is aimed at operators that never obtained one rather than at the activity itself. The practical consequence for a player is about access and money, not legality of play: a site that is blocked mid-session is a site you may struggle to reach, and withdrawing a balance from an operator whose payment channels are being dismantled is harder than depositing to it was.
The sensible check before depositing from Peru is therefore whether the operator appears on MINCETUR's own list of authorised remote gaming companies. We have not yet read that register at source, so we are not naming operators here. Poker is entertainment and should be budgeted as such; this is general information about the regulatory position and not legal advice.
Read the original at El Peruano (official gazette of Peru) →
Frequently asked questions
Is online poker legal in Peru?
Remote gaming is regulated rather than prohibited. Ley N.° 31557 requires operators to hold a MINCETUR authorisation, and the ministry blocks platforms that serve Peruvian users without one. This is general information, not legal advice.
How many platforms has Peru blocked?
86 so far in 2026 out of 157 planned, according to MINCETUR as reported by El Peruano on 2 October 2026 — the latest action accounting for 50 of them.
What happens to a player's balance if a site is blocked?
MINCETUR says its enforcement also targets the payment methods linked to unauthorised sites, so reaching an account or withdrawing from one can become difficult. Checking that an operator is authorised before depositing is the practical safeguard.