Italian 2027 Budget Draft Seeks €700m from Gambling via Land-Based Machine Levies and Concessions
Italy's 2027 budget claims €700m from gambling, with a leaked draft lifting AWP levies from 24% to 25% and VLTs from 8.6% to 9.6% while extending land-based concessions. Venue operators warn 20% of halls face losses. Online segments that drove 2025 growth appear untouched.
SCCG Take — Land-based operators absorb the fiscal pressure while online licensees benefit from recent reforms. Parliamentary review before year-end approval will determine whether venue closures materialise.
Italy's Council of Ministers approved the draft 2027 budget on 28 October. The package totals roughly €26 billion. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that the gambling sector would contribute €700 million, with energy companies facing a similar contribution.
Meloni presented the measures as balanced, asking contributions from those facing fewer difficulties. The specific tax and concession details were not published at the press conference. Parliament retains the power to amend the bill before year-end approval.
Leaked Draft Targets Land-Based Levies and Extensions
A leaked draft first covered by Jamma and reported by Casino Beats assigns the costs to land-based concessions and gaming machines rather than online operators. Land-based slot, betting and bingo concessions would extend to 31 December 2029 for about €305 million in 2027. The Gratta e Vinci scratchcard concession would also extend in exchange for an upfront payment.
The PREU levy on AWP slot machines would rise from 24% to 25% of stakes, estimated to raise €150 million. The VLT rate would increase from 8.6% to 9.6%, worth €165 million. The quantified items total roughly €770 million for 2027, exceeding the €700 million headline figure cited by Meloni. Government forecasts project €718 million from gambling in both 2027 and 2028.
Where the Risk Lies for Venue Operators
EGP-FIPE warned that the higher machine levies would make at least 20% of specialist gaming halls unprofitable and place thousands of jobs at risk. Italy's total gaming turnover reached €165.33 billion in 2025, up 5% on 2024. Gross gaming revenue was €21.869 billion, up 1.36%, while the state's tax take remained flat at €11.5 billion.
Growth concentrated in online verticals, with virtual betting rising 23.14% and online casino and cash games up 17.74%. The measures arrive after Italy's online licence tender and place the burden on land-based products. Operators will not know the final form until the bill clears both chambers of parliament by the end of the year.
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