Unimpresa estimates Italy gaming rules will yield €2.5bn in 2027-2029
Regulation2 min read
In brief
- Unimpresa's research centre says Italy's 2027 budget bill gaming measures provide over €2.5bn in revenue for 2027-2029.
- It estimates €1,155m from the machine tax change and €843m from concession extensions to 31 December 2029.
- The research centre says the total is not a net increase against revenue already provided for under current law.
Unimpresa's research centre says the gaming provisions in Italy's 2027 budget bill provide for more than €2.5bn in state revenue over 2027-2029. The analysis is based on the draft budget bill and its technical report. The research centre puts the quantified amounts for the main measures at €2.515bn over the three years. It adds that this total is not a net increase of the same size against revenue already provided for under current law.
Changing the single tax on gaming machines is the main component, and the government expects it to bring 1,155 million euros of extra revenue across the three years. That total is split by year into 334 million euros for 2027, 365 million for 2028 and 456 million for 2029. Starting on 1 January 2027, the rate for AWP machines, commonly identified as slot machines, goes from 24% to 25% of amounts wagered, while the VLT rate goes from 8.6% to 9.6%. AWP machines programmed to pay back at least 70% of amounts wagered as winnings get different treatment, with their rate set at 20%. The maximum stake goes from one euro to two, and the maximum win goes from 100 to 200 euros.
A second component is the extension to 31 December 2029 of concessions for physical-network betting and for the telematic networks of AWP and VLT machines. The extension is estimated to bring fees of €281m a year, or €843m in total. For betting, the annual payment is €14,250 per right for venues where gaming is the main activity and €8,550 where it is an ancillary activity. The research centre says betting charges are 50% higher than the previous extension amounts. For machine networks, the fees are €150 per AWP authorisation and €7,500 per VLT right, covering the whole length of the extension.
The analysis also counts €188m for extending the instant lottery concession. It adds €64.5m in Bingo fees over the three years. It adds €116.7m in expected additional revenue from a fifth weekly draw for Lotto and SuperEnalotto. By year, the quantified sums are €880.51m in 2027, €777.63m in 2028 and €801.87m in 2029.
Unimpresa president Paolo Longobardi said the provisions confirm the economic importance of a sector that contributes significantly to state revenue. Longobardi said the extension of concessions to 2029 offers continuity but cannot indefinitely replace a comprehensive reform of the sector.