Italy’s 2027 Budget Bill Raises Slot and VLT Levies, Doubles Stakes, and Extends Concessions to 2029

Italy’s 2027 budget bill will raise the levy on gaming machines, double maximum stakes on slots, and extend land-based gambling concessions to the end of 2029, according to the certified text now heading to parliament. As reported by iGaming Business, the measures place the fiscal burden on the retail sector with no new levies on online gambling.

Under the bill, the PREU machine levy on slots (AWP) rises from 24% to 25% from 1 January 2027, and on video lottery terminals (VLT) from 8.6% to 9.6%. Slots paying out at least 70% in prizes qualify for a reduced 20% rate. At the same time, the maximum stake per slot game doubles from €1 to €2 and the maximum prize from €100 to €200.

Concessions Extended to 2029

Betting, slot, VLT and bingo concessions due to expire on 31 December 2026 are extended to the end of 2029. Betting shops will pay €14,250 a year per right where gambling is the main business, and €8,550 where it is secondary. Slot and VLT network concessionaires will pay €150 per slot permit and €7,500 per VLT right for the full extension period. Bingo halls face monthly fees of between €6,500 and €14,500, linked to each hall’s card sales.

The Gratta e Vinci scratchcard concession is extended to 2029 for €188 million. The bill also creates a licensing regime for esports and LAN gaming halls offering skill games without cash prizes, with fees of €200 per device, €1,000 per hall and €10,000 per online platform. Betting of any kind is banned in these venues.

Retail Bears the Fiscal Load

The measures should raise about €952 million in 2027. The largest items are €334 million from the PREU increase, €281 million from concession extensions and €188 million from scratchcards. A technical report puts the PREU rise and concession extensions alone at nearly €2 billion over 2027-2029. It assumes slot takings rise by about 30% under the new stake limits.

The land-based sector has drawn criticism of the changes, with trade association As.Tro calling an extraordinary meeting of its technical committee to assess the impact. The bill proceeds to the Chamber of Deputies, where hearings are expected to start around 5 November and amendments are due by 17 November. Parliament must approve the budget by 31 December. Operators will weigh the projected revenue gains against the higher levies and concession fees in the weeks ahead.