Italy weighs €1bn gambling tax input for Budget 2027

Italy’s Ministry of Finance and Economy (MEF) projects that it will raise €1bn in funding from gambling companies from 2027-to-2028. The forecast forms part of the Meloni government’s settlement of the 2027 Budget Law. The MEF’s €1bn target arising from the 2026 Budet takes into account significant reforms being undertaken to online gambling licensing, the way licences are audited, and new technical standards of Italian gambling. In November 2025, a new licensing regime with an annual fee of €7m came into effect. The MEF will apply new auditing measures to this regime, including how it looks at the impacts audits have on online gambling accounts. A new auditing structure for online gambling concessions will change how winnings and withdrawals are accounted for by operators, alongside higher charges for extending existing gambling concessions. Gambling forms part of a wider revenue programme through which the government aims to secure between €7bn-€8bn, with banks, insurance companies and energy businesses also expected to contribute. Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti has reiterated that “everyone who can, will contribute”, as the government seeks to fund spending commitments within a constrained expenditure of public services. The settlement of the Budget Law of 2027 leads PM Giorgia Meloni’s agenda, as Italy enters its election cycle for 2027. Meloni aims to secure fiscal measures that strengthen the standing of Fratelli d’Italia within the country’s governing conservative coalition. Scratchcard tender a serious option For Italy’s gambling sector, the principal uncertainty lies in which measures will advance into the Budget’s settlement and the pending financial obligations the Meloni government will impose on licence holders. The reported proposals cover several potential sources of revenue, spanning online gambling, winnings withdrawals and concession arrangements. However, no final rates, charges or implementation timetable have been confirmed. In Rome, Parliament has yet to decide whether it will allow for the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) to launch a tender for Italian gambling’s Instant-win and scratchcard concession, an option that is viewed as a ‘funding consideration’. The current lottery concession is operated by Lotterie Nazionali, a joint-venture formed by the quartet of Brightstar Lottery, Scientific Games, Arianna and Allwyn. Under consideration as a Budget 2027 proposal, the concession which is due to expire in 2028 would be brought forward to 2027. The MEF and ADM are seeking a stewardship contract in the value of approximately €1bn. The proposals should therefore be viewed as options under examination, with the government still defining the detailed measures and funding of Budget 2027. Brussels talks shape spending plans The budget preparations follow parliamentary approval of a €29bn budget deviation over two years for energy and defence spending. The government’s fiscal planning framework sets out its public finance objectives, but the final spending package will depend partly on discussions with the European Commission over the use of budget flexibility. Giorgetti has warned that “clouds are gathering on the horizon”, urging continued caution in managing Italy’s finances. The outcome of negotiations with Brussels will influence the government’s capacity to introduce support for families and address energy costs, alongside its wider spending commitments. The budget bill is expected to reach the Chamber of Deputies around 28 October, when gambling stakeholders should gain a clearer view of whether the proposed €1bn contribution will translate into specific taxes, concession charges or other revenue measures.