Italy weighs ideas to raise more revenue from gambling sector in 2027 budget
With Italy’s land-based gambling reforms on hold, the government is considering a range of options to eke more revenue out of the sector.
Key takeaways:
- Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance is considering extending retail gambling concessions until 2029, potentially raising €400m–€500m for the 2027 budget.
- The failure to launch new tenders has already cost the state an estimated €1.5bn.
- Additional measures under review include a €1bn scratch‑card tender and an extra Lotto/SuperEnalotto draw expected to generate €50m annually.
Italy.- The Italian government is reportedly considering new measures that would seek to raise revenue from gambling licences as it prepares the 2027 budget. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has tasked the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) with examining provisional options that could deliver between €400m and €500m from the regulated sector, though none have yet been formally included in the draft Budget Law.
The largest contribution would come from a three‑year extension of retail gambling concessions, currently due to expire at the end of 2026. The MEF is considering pushing the deadline to the end of 2029, allowing the state to continue collecting licensing fees while buying time to resolve the long‑delayed reorganisation of Italy’s retail gambling network. Meloni ended negotiations with the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces in August, closing almost three years of talks and removing the reform from the 2027 legislative agenda. Reports suggest the failure to proceed with tenders will cost the state around €1.5bn in anticipated proceeds.
The mandate attached to Italy’s Tax Delegation Law expired on August 29 without agreement between state and regional authorities on the future distribution of betting shops, gaming halls and machines. A temporary extension could generate €200m to €250m annually for the Treasury over three years. Under current rules, concessionaires pay €120 per year for each amusement‑with‑prizes machine, €4,000 for every video lottery terminal, €9,500 per betting agency, €5,700 per betting corner, and bingo operators pay €2,800 per hall each month.
Beyond maintaining revenues, the extension would give the government time to test new machine requirements, reopen discussions with local authorities and prepare tenders for a long‑term framework. MEF is also expected to table the next scratch‑card concession, currently held by Brightstar Lottery until September 2028. The starting price is reportedly set at around €1bn, with the single‑concessionaire model likely to remain.
Scratch cards are a major asset, generating close to €500m annually from a six per cent premium on approximately €8bn in sales. However, the tender would not provide immediate relief for the 2027 budget, as the Treasury is unlikely to collect instalments before 2028.
Other proposals under review include introducing a digital lotto levy, estimated to raise €15m, and adding another Lotto and SuperEnalotto draw, which could provide €50m annually. All measures remain provisional and subject to amendment before the Budget Law is presented in October 2026.
