Peru: SBS Approves AML/CFT Rules for iGaming Operators
The Superintendence of Banking, Insurance and AFP (SBS) approved a specific regulatory framework on anti-money laundering for online betting operators, a milestone that strengthens the compliance architecture of the country’s digital gaming ecosystem. The advancement, announced on October 15, 2025, aims to reinforce anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) controls in a segment that has rapidly grown with the digitalization of entertainment and sports betting services. This decision aligns with international best practices and responds to the need to mitigate risks inherent to the online channel, such as transaction anonymization and the high speed of financial flows. For the industry, the authority’s move marks a turning point towards more demanding and comparable compliance standards with mature markets.
The new regulatory framework on anti-money laundering for online betting operators establishes guidelines covering risk identification and management, customer due diligence, transactional monitoring, and the obligation to report suspicious operations to the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF-Peru). It also incorporates corporate governance compliance requirements, such as the appointment of a compliance officer, continuous staff training, internal audits, and documentation of policies and procedures. The approach is risk-based in nature, requiring operators to segment their clients, review profiles, and determine alert thresholds according to their exposure, behaviors, and payment methods used. Complementarily, the SBS promotes interoperability with other regulators and ecosystem actors—including payment service providers and financial entities—to ensure traceability and comprehensive AML/CTF risk management.
The SBS is the supervisory authority of the Peruvian financial system and the competent entity in the fight against money laundering through UIF-Peru, which operates under its institutional scope. In the online gaming vertical, the country’s regulatory scheme recognizes a division of competencies: while the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR) manages licenses and technical aspects of remote gaming, the SBS leads the standardization of AML/CTF controls for obligated subjects. In recent years, Peru has consolidated a regulatory framework for remote gaming and sports betting, with successive regulatory adjustments aimed at closing supervision gaps and strengthening channeling towards the formal offer. In this context, the approval of a specific SBS framework responds to the need to provide the online segment with clear and verifiable compliance guidelines, complementary to the licenses and operational controls of the sector authority.
The Peruvian measure fits within a regional and international trend to raise compliance thresholds for iGaming and sports betting. Countries such as Colombia, through Coljuegos in coordination with anti-money laundering authorities, and Spain, through the DGOJ and SEPBLAC, have established robust obligations that integrate risk monitoring, controls on PEPs, and unusual transaction reporting, aligned with the FATF’s 40 Recommendations. In consolidated markets like the United Kingdom, the gaming regulator requires operators to apply equivalent controls under the Money Laundering Regulations, with reinforced obligations for identity verification and source of funds. For Peru, converging towards these standards is key in view of FATF/GAFILAT evaluations and to preserve the integrity of the financial system against emerging threats linked to digital payments, e-wallets, and cross-border networks.
Operationally, online betting operators will need to invest in monitoring technology, identity verification solutions, list screening, and data analytics to comply with SBS requirements. Strengthening compliance may modify relationships with payment aggregators and banks by demanding higher levels of traceability and source of funds controls in deposits and withdrawals. For the market, implementing these rules can boost channeling towards licensed operators, improve consumer security perception, and reduce reputational risks across the value chain, including affiliates and providers. Likewise, the framework lays the groundwork for supervisory and sanctioning actions in case of non-compliance, creating incentives for formality and discouraging unauthorized offers that compete under unequal conditions and lack equivalent controls.
Looking ahead, the SBS is expected to complement this framework with technical guidelines, materiality criteria, and implementation schedules that allow for a phased and consistent adoption throughout the industry. It is foreseeable that working groups will be promoted with operators, PSPs, and financial entities to harmonize data, risk indicators, and interoperability standards, as well as sectoral training programs. As supervision advances, regulatory adjustments may be issued to address emerging typologies—for example, live betting, micro-betting, and new payment instruments—and to strengthen international cooperation in financial intelligence. In summary, the approval of the anti-money laundering regulatory framework for online betting operators marks a decisive step for the maturation of iGaming in Peru, with a comprehensive compliance approach that seeks to protect the consumer, ensure transaction integrity, and raise the competitiveness of the formal market.
Tags: Peru, SBS, money laundering, online betting regulation Peru