A bill by Peru Congressman Walter Ascona would tax online gaming and sports wagers at 12 percent and spread that revenue among provinces and municipalities.
The country’s online gaming market is unregulated and is about $485 million annually. The 12 percent tax would raise an estimated $65 million. Which would help fund the problem gaming programs that bill would also mandate, as well as sports, educational and cultural activities.
The casino sector in Peru has lost $540 million from the pandemic, which caused 10 percent of gaming companies to go bankrupt.
According to Casinos and Slots Workers Union representative Iván Katekaru, 15 percent of gaming jobs are gone. He added, “This union is made up of approximately 800 operations nationwide. It’s one of the largest sources of jobs in the country with 87,000 formal jobs and 250,000 indirect jobs, and one of the most organized sectors as it contributes more than $135 million a year.”
