Peru closes six illegal venues and seizes 44 slot machines
Mincetur carried out six closures in two regions of inland Peru. The clandestine sports betting and slot machine establishments were shut down in Lambayeque and Huánuco, in operations conducted jointly with the National Police. This brings the inspection campaign's total to 33 closed establishments nationwide throughout 2026.
The distribution of the operations reveals two distinct types of businesses. In Chiclayo, Lambayeque, authorities entered three clandestine establishments and seized 32 slot machines. In Huánuco, specifically in the district of José Luis de Crespo y Castillo, Leoncio Prado province, another 12 machines were confiscated, along with 41 computer devices used for unauthorized online sports betting.
One discovery was highlighted by the ministry itself above all others. During the inspections, slot machines configured for underage audiences were found, which Peruvian legislation expressly prohibits due to the risks involved for children and adolescents.
The interventions were led by the General Directorate of Casino Games and Slot Machines, with the support of the Peruvian National Police, and were based on three different regulations depending on the case. Law N.º 27153 governs the operation of casinos and slot machines, N.º 31557 establishes the legal framework for remote gaming and sports betting, and N.º 29149 specifically penalizes slot machine activity aimed at minors.
The agency's annual report separates the two fronts. Of the 33 establishments closed so far in 2026, 19 were illegal sports betting points and 14 were clandestine slot machine halls. The ministry also reminded that anyone who promotes, organizes, or participates in illegal gambling can face imprisonment, in addition to the administrative and economic sanctions corresponding to the infraction, and urged citizens to report clandestine establishments.
These operations are the physical counterpart to the digital campaign that Mincetur itself reported a week ago, when it announced the blocking of 50 platforms, bringing the total to 86 out of a target of 157 before the end of the year. Placed side by side, both fronts are managed by the same general directorate with the same team. Most revealing are the 41 computer devices in Huánuco, because they describe a hybrid format: an unlicensed platform served from a physical location, which is precisely the model that blocking alone cannot address, since access does not depend on the user finding a domain but on entering a neighborhood establishment.
Tags: Mincetur, Illegal gambling in Peru, Clandestine slot machines, Law 31557