European Parliament vice-president Victor Negrescu has backed a proposal for a harmonised tax on online gambling platforms across the EU. He said a 1% levy could raise billions of euros for EU priorities including education and youth programmes; adoption would require unanimous agreement among the 27 member states.
A common levy could change online gambling tax obligations across EU markets if member states agree.
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Milen Totev, president of Bulgaria’s Association of Organizers of Gaming and Betting Activities, opposed a proposal for a unified betting tax across Europe. He said differing national rules and unresolved questions about collection, distribution and the treatment of licensed operators could create uncertainty; he called for efforts against illegal platforms instead.
The EGBA warned that a proposed EU-wide online gambling levy could benefit unlicensed operators and reduce Member State tax income. The European Parliament’s Budget Committee included the idea in its opinion on the 2028–2034 budget, but the EGBA said the committee vote was not a formal proposal or decision.
The European Parliament's Budget Committee included an EU-wide online gambling tax in its opinion on the 2028–2034 budget framework, according to the report. The EGBA said the vote was exploratory and argued that a levy could benefit illegal operators and reduce member states' tax revenues. The European Parliament was scheduled to vote on the opinion later in April, followed by budget negotiations.
European Parliament Vice-President Victor Negrescu has backed a proposal for a harmonised tax on online betting and gaming across the EU. He said a 1% levy could raise tens of billions of euros for EU priorities including education and youth initiatives; no formal draft exists, and adoption would require unanimous agreement from all 27 member states.
A proposal discussed in Brussels would tax online betting and gaming operators’ profits, with revenue intended for EU education and youth policies, according to the report. It would require unanimous backing from all 27 member states; the proposal’s taxable base and relationship with national taxes remain unresolved.