EGP-FIPE and FederBingo warn Italy's 2027 budget could raise bingo-hall costs
Regulation2 min read
In brief
- EGP-FIPE and FederBingo warn that articles 23 and 27 of Italy's 2027 Budget Bill threaten bingo halls.
- They estimate 71 of 181 active halls would close, or 93 with 2027 liquidity crises.
- They estimate a €72.5m negative balance for the Treasury, up to €149m with liquidity crises.
- They ask for four changes, including a recalculation based on the ADM scale and a lower VLT levy.
EGP-FIPE and FederBingo warned in a note that articles 23 and 27 of Italy's 2027 Budget Bill risk causing the physical bingo network to disappear.
According to the groups, the bill extends the concessions to 31 December 2029 but at the same time imposes three measures on the halls that they describe as unsustainable. The first is a rise in the concession fee from €6,500 to €14,500 a month. The second is a retroactive recalculation for 2018-2026 that the groups say is more onerous than the ADM determination validated by the Council of State. The third is a one-percentage-point increase in the PREU on machines, taking AWP to 25% and VLT to 9.6%.
The groups said the average hall's gross operating margin would fall by 98% in 2027 and by 80% once the measures are fully in effect. They estimate that, of 181 active halls, 71 would close at full effect, or 93 if the 2027 liquidity crises are included. They said the contraction would remove 24% of legal collection and between 2,140 and 2,800 direct jobs.
The groups said the technical report expects €69.1m in additional revenue over 2027-2029. They estimate that hall closures would instead give the Treasury a negative balance of €72.5m, or up to €149m with liquidity crises. They added a risk of losing up to €285m of PREU on machines installed in closed halls. The groups also listed indirect losses not included in the balance: €122m to €285m of machine PREU at risk, €31m of IRPEF and contributions, €19m of NASpI notional contributions and €9m of lower IRES and IRAP on surviving halls.
To protect jobs, legality and tax revenue, EGP-FIPE and FederBingo asked for four changes to the bill. The first is to apply for 2018-2026 the ADM scale already validated by the Council of State. The second is to set the fee at no more than 5-6% of net revenue. The third is to make historic credits offsettable or refundable and to allow debts to be paid in instalments over 48 months. The fourth is to cancel the increase in the VLT levy or at least halve it.