Italian government proposes €750m in gaming measures for 2027

Italy's government is preparing gaming measures for 2027 that are expected to raise just over €750m, according to institutional and industry sources cited in a report. The package largely confirms measures that emerged from a Council of Ministers meeting the previous day and is in line with the Documento Programmatico di Bilancio. The proposals remain subject to the 2027 budget process.

Most of the revenue is expected to come from the retail sector. Three-year extensions of betting, bingo and gaming-machine concessions (slots and videolotteries) to 31 December 2029 would bring in just over €300m next year: €280m from slots and betting and €25m from bingo. A 15-month extension of the Gratta e Vinci concession would add about €150m, also to be paid in advance next year and running to 31 December 2029, aligning the licences to the same expiry date.

The government has decided to raise the levy on videolotteries by one percentage point, from 8.6% to 9.6% of collections, and on slots from 24% to 25%. The two measures would raise €165m and €150m respectively, for a total of €315m.

The two segments are not performing at the same rate: videolotteries show a small increase compared with 2025, while slots continue to lose ground at a rate of about 5% a year. According to industry figures, the planned tax increase, against a declining tax base, would therefore have a limited effect on state revenue and would harm operators.

To balance the tax measure on gaming machines, the text of the 2027 budget law could include a trial period to improve operating conditions for slots by rebalancing the weight of winnings and levies, with the aim of reviving collections and revenue. Ancillary measures, still to be assessed, include interventions on machines without cash winnings and on esports.