Italy’s government includes gaming sector among 2027 budget funding sources

Italy's Council of Ministers approved the 2027 budget bill on 29 October 2026, and the gaming sector is among the economic areas expected to help finance the measures, the government said. The bill was approved on a proposal from economy and finance minister Giancarlo Giorgetti. The final amount and the form of the gaming contribution were not confirmed in the source.

Indications circulating before the bill's approval put the expected contribution from the gaming sector at about €700m. In the final stage of talks on the financing measures, that figure may have been revised upwards. The source gives no confirmed total for the gaming contribution.

The government said the budget concentrates resources on protecting the purchasing power of households and workers, with particular attention to younger people, on support for families and the birth rate, on healthcare, on business competitiveness and on investment, especially in the Mezzogiorno. The overall value of the measures is estimated at about €26bn for 2027 and €27bn for 2028.

On the financing side, the government is relying mainly on the activation of safeguard clauses and on higher revenue expected from some economic sectors, including financial services, gaming and energy. A contribution from the ministries and the Presidency is also planned.

Presenting the 2027 budget law, prime minister Giorgia Meloni said €700m would come from the gaming sector. She said: "Non è una manovra contro qualcuno, ovviamente, ma in un momento complesso come questo, a chi ha meno problemi viene chiesto di dare una mano, nell’ambito di quello che è sostenibile".

The revenue measures also include an intervention on tobacco. Options that emerged in the final stage of the negotiations provide for bringing forward to 2027 part of the price increases originally scheduled for 2028, with two steps during the year, on 1 January and 1 July. The methods and amounts are to be confirmed by the final provisions.