Peru Bill Would Quintuple Online Betting Tax to 5% of Every Bet

The tax is charged on the full stake, not on winnings, and the bill's authors admit players may end up paying it. A rival bill revived in September pulls the other way.

Francis Gable

12/10/26 · 2 minOctober 12, 2026 · 2 min read

A group of Peruvian lawmakers filed a bill on Oct. 6 that would raise the tax on every online sports bet and casino wager in the country from 1% to 5%.

The tax comes off the stake itself, not the winnings. On sites run from abroad, Peru's tax agency treats the player as the taxpayer, and the site collects the tax on each wager. A S/100 ($29) bet would carry S/5 in tax instead of S/1.

The authors estimate yearly collections would rise from about S/324 million ($93 million) to S/1.62 billion ($465 million). They call that an illustration, not an official forecast, since bettors may change how they behave.

Sponsors Pitch the Tax as Addiction Prevention

Deputy Luis Aurelio Masco Cáceres of the Partido Cívico Obras group sponsored Bill 00519. Its explanatory memo cites 14,409 treatments for gambling addiction at Peruvian health facilities in 2025, a figure it credits to the health ministry.

The memo says a higher cost per bet could discourage some play. It does not claim the tax alone will reduce gambling addiction.

The authors also concede that operators may absorb the increase, pass it to players through worse betting terms or split it. The bill leaves alone a separate 12% tax on operators' revenue after winnings are paid out, and it does not touch physical casinos or slot halls.

A Rival Bill Pulls the Other Way

The 1% rate has applied since July 1, 2025, after a 0.3% rate in the first half of that year. In September, the Chamber of Deputies revived a separate bill, now numbered 00389, that the previous government had rejected in 2025.

That bill would change what the tax is charged on. According to multiple regional reports, the economy ministry warned it could cut collections by 90% to 95%.

If Bill 00519 becomes law, the 5% rate would start on the first day of the following month, and the economy ministry and the tax agency would write the rules to apply it. Which direction the chamber takes, a higher rate or a narrower base, remains unresolved.

Treat gambling as entertainment you pay for. 18+, and if it stops feeling like entertainment, help exists at BeGambleAware and GamCare.