STS-FIT president questions whether Italy’s proposed AWP and VLT tax rise will increase revenue
Regulation1 min read
STS-FIT president Emilio Zamparelli said a proposed tax increase on AWP and VLT machines in Italy’s 2027 budget may not raise more state revenue. He argued that higher PREU could reduce retailers’ compensation and suggested reviewing machine payout levels as an alternative.
A possible new tax rise on AWP and VLT gaming machines, linked to the 2027 budget, raises doubts about whether it would really increase state revenue. Emilio Zamparelli, president of STS-FIT, spoke on the issue. He did so at the SiGMA Central Europe Summit in Rome on 3 November.
The measure under discussion is a possible one-percentage-point rise in PREU on AWP and VLT machines, which emerged in the debate on the 2027 budget law. Zamparelli said the sector is losing tax revenue and that a tax increase would not offset that loss. As an alternative, he proposed reviewing the payout of the machines. He also said payouts are currently low compared with the online sector.
Past experience, in Zamparelli's words, shows that higher taxation often ends up weighing on the retailer, whose compensation shrinks. He pointed to the figures for points of sale, which keep declining. On innovation, Zamparelli said the sector is missing it. He added that the product is more than twenty years old and dates back to 2004.