The Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance's treasury consolidated report, published on November 5, shows 4.52 billion euros in gambling tax receipts for January through September 2026. That is about $5.1 billion at the November 5 exchange rate. The report reflects actual receipts, not accruals.
Roughly $4 billion (3.58 billion euros) of that came from the single tax on slot machines and video lottery terminals. That accounts for about three-quarters of all gambling receipts in the report.
The tax revenue bulletin from the same ministry counts differently. It puts the gambling sector's take for the same period at 5.45 billion euros (about $6.1 billion), down 5.8% from a year earlier. The two figures cannot be compared directly: one counts cash collected, the other counts accruals.
The 2027 budget bill, which the government approved on October 28, raises the AWP tax from 24% to 25% of amounts played starting January 1, 2027, and the VLT tax from 8.6% to 9.6%. Slots that return at least 70% of stakes to players would face a 20% rate.
The bill's technical report estimates the first-year gain at 334 million euros (about $374 million). At the same time, concessions for the AWP and VLT networks are extended to December 31, 2029, and the state will receive 188 million euros for the extension in two payments in 2027.
The tax is calculated on the amount played on the machine, not on the operator's revenue, and the provisions apply to machines and concessions in the physical network. They do not affect online operators. The bill also bans passing the additional tax on to players.
The bill now faces parliamentary review, and the rates will change only after it is adopted.
