Italy's 2027 budget bill raises slot levy, doubles slot stakes and extends concessions to 2029

Italy's 2027 budget bill, in its certified text now heading to parliament, increases taxation on gaming machines, doubles the stake and prize limits on slots and prolongs land-based gambling concessions until the end of 2029.

The PREU levy on AWP slots goes from 24% to 25% starting 1 January 2027, while the rate on video lottery terminals moves from 8.6% to 9.6%. Slots that return at least 70% in prizes would be taxed at a reduced 20%. The maximum stake per slot game rises from €1 to €2, and the maximum prize from €100 to €200.

Concessions for betting, slots, VLTs and bingo, which were set to lapse on 31 December 2026, would continue to the end of 2029. Betting shops would pay €14,250 a year per right when gambling is their main business and €8,550 when it is secondary. Slot and VLT network concessionaires would pay €150 per slot permit and €7,500 per VLT right for the whole extension period, and bingo halls would pay monthly fees of €6,500 to €14,500 depending on card sales. The Gratta e Vinci scratchcard concession is extended for €188 million, and Lotto and SuperEnalotto receive an additional weekly draw.

The bill also introduces a licensing framework for esports and LAN gaming halls offering skill games with no cash prizes. These venues would need ADM authorisation, with fees of €200 per device, €1,000 per hall and €10,000 per online platform, and any form of betting would be prohibited on the premises. A settlement scheme for long-running disputes over a 2015 levy on slot machines is also included.

According to Italian Gaming News, the package should bring in about €952 million in 2027, above the €700 million announced by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The PREU increase accounts for €334 million, concession extensions for €281 million and scratchcards for €188 million, and the 2015 levy settlement could add €71.62 million if all parties join. The technical report estimates the PREU rise and concession extensions at nearly €2 billion across 2027-2029, assuming slot takings grow by about 30% under the new limits.

The text includes no new levy on online gambling and no change to the lottery commission, so the burden falls mostly on retail. Land-based industry groups have criticised the measures, and trade association As.Tro has called an extraordinary technical committee meeting to assess the effect on slots and VLTs. The bill goes first to the Chamber of Deputies, with hearings expected from around 5 November and amendments due by 17 November. Parliament must approve the budget by 31 December.