Irish Presidency Omits Proposed 1% Common Tax on iGaming from First Draft of EU Budget 2028-2034
The Irish Presidency excluded a proposed EU-wide 1% tax on iGaming revenues from the initial 2028-2034 budget draft. Projected to yield €2bn–€4bn yearly for social programs, the idea faced opposition from the EGBA and Malta on sovereignty grounds. The draft retains taxes on tobacco, emissions, waste and a corporate levy forecast to raise €55bn annually.
SCCG Take — This provides short-term certainty for operators by keeping iGaming outside new common levies, yet parliamentary backing signals the proposal could reemerge before unanimous approval.
The Irish Presidency has decided against including a review for a common tax on online gambling in the first draft of the European Union budget for 2028-2034. Ireland assumed the role of chief negotiator in July for the minimum €2trn (£1.7bn) plan. The draft sets a €1.62trn spending ceiling in constant 2025 prices, equivalent to approximately €1.85trn in current prices, with no proposal for a unified levy on licensed gambling revenues.
Background on the Omitted Gambling Tax Proposal
The measure was originally advanced by the Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament, led by Romanian MEP Victor Negrescu, vice president of the Parliament. Negrescu proposed a 1% unified tax on licensed gambling revenues across the EU. The plan projected raising €2bn–€4bn annually—circa €14bn over the budget cycle—to fund education, youth initiatives, mental health, addiction prevention, and protection of minors.
The proposal drew immediate criticism from the European Gaming and Betting Association and the government of Malta. Malta described the tax as an interference with member states’ national sovereignty to regulate their own gambling markets. Prime Minister Robert Abela has endorsed the broader Budget 2028 initiatives and common tax policies but not on online gambling, a significant economic sector for Malta and other member states.
Revenue Measures Retained in the Draft
The draft instead specifies reviews of selective taxes on emissions trading, electronic waste, tobacco consumption, and carbon offsetting. It maintains the Corporate Resource for Europe proposal for a flat-rate annual lump-sum contribution from all EU businesses generating over €100m in revenues. On tobacco, each member state would contribute 15% of an amount calculated from tobacco products released for consumption and the minimum duty rates in that country.
These measures, excluding gambling, could raise up to €55bn annually. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa lead support for common EU taxes to promote economic self-dependence. According to reporting by SBC News, the European Parliament continues to back new revenue sources and has flagged an online gambling levy as one option. The current negotiating document is non-binding; final Multiannual Financial Framework adoption requires unanimous Council agreement and European Parliament consent. Future talks may see renewed pressure to reconsider the gambling tax.
Reporting: SBC News
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
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