Mincetur Destroys 518 Illegal Slot Machines Including 203 for Minors

61% of the Haul Came From 17 Years of Seizures

This was part of Mincetur’s slate of measures under the Plan Nacional de Orden Turístico, and was carried out under notarial supervision. The move was part of a progressive campaign to close down illegal gambling.

Destroyed machines also included those confiscated by other agencies, which Mincetur received for destruction. Between 2009 and 2026, raids resulted in the seizure of 315 machines in the regions of Cusco, Pasco, Huánuco, Junín, Lima and La Libertad. Some of those were turned in to Mincetur by SUNAT, the tax agency, and the fiscal police of Callao.

According to a 15M analysis of ministry data, the 315 units seized between 2009 and 2026 account for 61% of the total, indicating a warehouse clearance rather than a single operational sweep. 203 of the destroyed machines, the other 39%, were found to be geared towards children.

The ministry says the destruction "seeks to prevent this equipment being used again in unauthorised premises". So far this year, 15 illegal parlours have been closed down, including some in remote areas.

Online, the Same Directorate Runs a Blocking List

The land-based haul is one half of the DGJCMT’s work. The directorate also took measures against illegal gambling sites on the internet, ordering the blocking of 50 on 2 October. A total of 86 have been blocked this year against a target of 157 under Mincetur’s enforcement plan.

Under the Gambling Law, Law 31557, Mincetur works with the Ministry of Transport and Communications to block sites. The ministry has also lodged complaints with payments providers and gambling content providers. Illicit online gambling options have reportedly been reduced by more than half as a result.

In physical gambling establishments, the DGJCMT has conducted 5,195 checks, and has investigated betting shops and online gambling sites 4,572 times. Mincetur says it has used a register of around 2,000 non-licensed sites, based on international regulators’ blacklists, to target enforcement efforts.

Two Releases, Two Closure Counts

15M compared two sets of figures the ministry published a month apart, and they are difficult to reconcile. On 2 October, it said that 17 betting premises and 10 slot halls had been closed down to date. A month later, on 2 November, it said 15 slot halls had been closed in 2026.

Did it close five more halls in the space of a month, or are the two sets of figures compiled on different bases? The ministry offered no clarification.

Peru Licensed the Online Market, Not the Machines

Online gambling and sports betting are relatively new businesses, licensed under Law 31557. That law gave Mincetur regulatory oversight, with its DGJCMT enforcement arm. By contrast, land based slot machines have been licensed for much longer. So illegal machines are being seized as hardware, rather than blocked as illegal websites.

Under the Penal Code, participation in illegal gambling is a punishable offence, with jail terms of between one and four years, and administrative penalties. Similarly, neighboring Colombia publishes an authorised operators list for gambling for the same reason.

What This Means

• Operators: the licensing route is open, and the ministry is publishing its enforcement arithmetic. A Peruvian licence now buys separation from a visibly shrinking grey market.
• Affiliates: 71 platforms on this year’s blocking list are still unblocked, with two months left. Check every Peruvian brand you promote against the authorised list before the next batch lands. A blocked domain kills the traffic.
• Providers: Mincetur is pulling payment methods and game content from unauthorised sites, so supply relationships are an enforcement target too.

What’s Next

A draft supreme decree amending the Law 31557 regulation is posted for comment on gob.pe. On the blocking list, 71 of the year’s 157 platforms are still standing.

Source: Mincetur, "Mincetur refuerza lucha y destruye 518 máquinas tragamonedas ilegales", 2 November 2026