Corte dei Conti reports €200m fall in gaming revenue in first eight months of 2026

Italy's Corte dei Conti reported that tax revenue from gaming fell by about €200m in the first eight months of 2026, according to a memorandum it presented to the budget committees of the Chamber and Senate. The memorandum was submitted as part of hearings on the Documento programmatico di finanza pubblica, the framework for the 2027 budget law, the court said.

The decline in gaming revenue came as overall tax revenue rose. Between January and August 2026, total tax revenue reached €398.8bn, an increase of €10.1bn, or 2.6%, on the same period a year earlier, the court said. Indirect taxes produced €171.8bn, up €4.1bn, or 2.4%.

The court attributed the rise in indirect tax revenue mainly to VAT, which recorded €4.5bn in additional revenue. That offset declines in other tax components, including gaming at €200m, excise duties at €800m and stamp duty at €400m, according to the memorandum.

In its analysis of public finance prospects, the Corte dei Conti cited the Documento programmatico's forecasts of total tax revenue for public administrations of €683.8bn in 2026 and €705.1bn in 2027. The court's figures are also relevant to advance indications on the 2027 budget law, which envisage about €700m in new revenue from the gaming sector. The government has yet to define how it intends to raise those resources, the source said.

The reduction in gaming revenue identified by the Corte dei Conti is therefore a factor to be considered in the debate on any new tax measures for the sector, the source said.