Italy’s government proposes gaming levies and concession extensions in 2027 budget

Italy's Council of Ministers approved the 2027 budget bill and the multi-year budget for the 2027-2029 period at a meeting on the afternoon of Wednesday 28 October, according to reports. The text of the measure is still being finalised, and only unconfirmed reports are circulating about some of its provisions, including on public gambling.

The government is reported to be targeting more than €900m a year from the gambling sector over the 2027-2029 period. The main reported measures are a one percentage point increase in the Prelievo Erariale Unico (PREU) on AWP and VLT machines, and a three-year extension of the concessions for bingo, betting, amusement machines and Gratta e Vinci scratchcards on substantially more costly economic terms.

These measures had already appeared in earlier drafts of the budget circulated in previous days. Lower PREU increases of between 0.5% and 0.7% were also considered, and concerns were raised about the economic consequences for the sector.

Other reported proposals include possible changes to the taxation of online gambling and of winnings, and a decision on the future of the Gratta e Vinci concession, which currently expires in September 2028. A costly extension is under study for that concession, with a fee set against the base price of the future tender. Further reported options concern the regularisation of LAN rooms dedicated to eSports and the recovery of the remaining debt of the machines sector relating to the extraordinary levy introduced in 2015.

The picture remains provisional. Revenue estimates reported in recent weeks ranged between about €700m and €800m a year, above the initial forecasts in the budget planning document. The official text will need to be available before it can be verified which measures have actually been included in the budget and how they would apply.