Research by the Kansspelautoriteit and the Ministry of Finance found that gambling tax revenue was not meeting expectations after rate increases in January 2025 and January 2026. The regulator said the increases had been less effective than planned.
The findings inform operators and policymakers about the revenue outcome of the recent gambling tax increases.
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Massachusetts collected just over $11.5m in taxes from Encore Boston Harbor in September 2026, down from $14.8m a year earlier. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission called for a resolution to a labour dispute involving about 1,350 striking employees. The casino reported $46.1m in gaming revenue for the month, down more than 22% year on year.
Regulators in Massachusetts want the standoff between Encore Boston Harbor and its striking staff brought to an end. The push from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission followed a September tax payment from the casino that was its smallest in over five and a half years. Roughly 1,350 employees were on strike over pay and benefits at the time of the drop.
A newspaper editorial published on 8 November called on Brazil's Supreme Federal Court to uphold Provisional Measure 1.394/2026, which ended regulated online betting. The editorial cited R$144 billion allegedly diverted from retail to betting over two years; a commentary challenging that figure put regulated-market gross gaming revenue at R$56.97 billion over 18 months, using Ministry of Finance figures for 2025 and the first half of 2026.
Brazil's Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) unanimously dismissed a complaint alleging federal inaction over illegal betting, ruling that it did not identify a specific unlawful act or an unfulfilled duty. The court noted that the Ministry of Finance's betting secretariat had monitored and acted against unauthorised operators before Provisional Measure 1.394/2026; the measure remains subject to congressional review.
Brazil's Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) has dismissed and archived a complaint alleging omission, inertia or insufficient action by the state and federal bodies over the spread of illegal betting platforms. The Second Chamber approved ruling 5.284/2026 unanimously at its session on 27 October. It found that the complaint pointed to no unlawful act, no body that failed to act and no unfulfilled duty.
Brazilian government agencies disclosed that they had not prepared economic, fiscal or social impact studies for the online gambling prohibition under Provisional Measure 1.394/2026. The Justice Ministry classified internal documents supporting the measure for five years, while companies are considering legal action to recover R$2,500m in licence payments.
Several federal agencies said in responses to access-to-information requests that they carried out no prior studies of the economic, fiscal or social impact of Provisional Measure 1.394/2026, which bans online gambling in Brazil. The Justice Ministry classified as reserved, for five years, the internal documentation used to prepare the ban.
Spain’s Ministry of Finance set 2027 tax modules for amusement machines in bars and other hospitality businesses through Order HAC/1161/2026, published on 5 November 2026. The order keeps the stated income-tax amounts per machine at 2026 levels and took effect the day after publication; businesses can opt out of the modules system for 2027 by 31 December 2026.
The Official State Gazette carried Order HAC/1161/2026 on Thursday 5 November; the order is dated 4 November and sets the personal income tax and simplified VAT modules for the coming year. Compared with 2026, the per-machine amounts for type A and type B are repeated exactly.