Peru moves to criminalize sports match-fixing for betting gains

The Peruvian Congress has taken a decisive step against sports corruption by approving a bill that classifies the manipulation of sports results for betting purposes as a criminal offense.

According to RPP, the full Congress passed the opinion tied to Bill No. 9645/2024-CR, which amends Law No. 31557—regulating remote gaming and sports betting—and Law No. 30096, the Cybercrime Law. The updated legislation now includes individuals operating businesses under personal names and explicitly criminalizes remote manipulation of sports outcomes.

Congressman Ilich López Ureña (Popular Action), who chairs the Economic Commission, explained that the measure aims to close regulatory gaps and address tax distortions in the current framework of the Selective Consumption Tax (ISC) applied to the online gaming and sports betting industry. The reform is intended to ensure more effective taxation of the sector.

The Commission on Foreign Trade and Tourism also supported the bill, emphasizing that it will not only strengthen fiscal oversight but also help combat illegal gambling operations and organized crime through its new criminal provisions.

The bill passed its first vote with 103 votes in favor, none against, and three abstentions. It was then exempted from a second vote with 102 in favor, zero against, and four abstentions.