Italy mulls raising up to €1 billion from the gambling sector in two years

Gambling, among the expected sources of income

The Italian government is considering raising up to €1 billion from the gambling sector over the next two years to help finance the 2027 budget law. As reported by Il Sole 24 Ore, the alternatives analyzed include changes in the taxation of online gambling, a review of the mechanisms for withdrawing prizes and a possible extension of concessions.

The package of measures could also include the tender of Scratch and Win, whose concession is currently held by Brightstar and expires on September 30, 2028.

These initiatives are part of a broader set of possible collection measures, with which the Executive intends to obtain between 7,000 and 8,000 million euros. At the moment, the proposals are still in the evaluation phase and the details of their implementation have not yet been defined.

The Government is looking for resources in different sectors

The gambling sector would be one of those called upon to contribute to the financing of the budget, along with banks, insurance companies and energy companies.

Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti defended the principle that "everyone who can contribute" should do so, in a context of limited resources and no margin to widen the deficit beyond what is allowed by the flexibility clauses agreed with the European Union.

In parallel, the Council of Ministers approved the Draft Budgetary Plan (DPB), which will be sent to the European Commission. The document maintains the public finance targets set by the Government, while the concrete measures and their corresponding sources of funding have yet to be defined.

Negotiation with Brussels, a determining factor

Giorgetti also called for prudence in the management of public accounts and warned that "clouds are announced on the horizon."

The final configuration of the budget law will depend, in part, on negotiations with Brussels on the use of fiscal flexibility. This margin is key to identifying possible measures to support families and initiatives aimed at mitigating the impact of high energy prices.

According to current forecasts, the budget bill should reach the Italian Parliament around October 28. Until then, the Government will have to make progress in defining collection measures and distributing contributions among the different economic sectors.