Italy’s budget bill raises proposed gaming-machine taxes and slot limits
Regulation2 min read
In brief
- Italy's 2027 Budget Bill proposes raising PREU rates to 25% for AWP machines and 9.6% for VLTs.
- Maximum slot stakes would double to €2 and prizes to €200; land-based concessions would run to end-2029.
- ACADI warned the combined charges could put operators under pressure.
- Amendments are set for 17 November, with a 31 December deadline for final approval.
Italy's 2027 Budget Bill proposes higher taxes on gaming machines, doubled maximum stake and prize limits on slot machines, and an extension of land-based gambling concessions to the end of 2029. The certified text of the bill is now going to Parliament.
The certified text would lift the PREU levy on AWP machines from 24% to 25% starting 1 January 2027. Video lottery terminals face a rise in their rate from 8.6% to 9.6%. The maximum slot stake would double from €1 to €2, and the top prize would double from €100 to €200. A reduced levy of 20% would apply to machines paying back at least 70% of stakes as winnings. The bill would also set up licences for esports and LAN gaming venues running skill-based contests with no cash prizes. No new tax on online gambling is included, and the lottery commission structure stays as it is.
Betting shops face annual fees of €14,250 when gambling is their primary activity and €8,550 when it is secondary. Monthly fees based on card sales apply to bingo halls, and slot and VLT concessionaires face charges linked to permits and operating rights.
ACADI, the Association of Concessionaires of Entertainment Equipment, cautioned that heavier machine taxes together with new concession costs may squeeze operators in a contracting market. It says many firms already find it hard to stay profitable at today's tax rates. ACADI president Geronimo Cardia said: "We are not asking for discounts, we are asking not to shut down a supply chain that guarantees the state billions in revenue every year."
Hearings are due at the Chamber of Deputies, and amendments are set for 17 November. Parliament has a deadline of 31 December to give final approval.