Gambling operators in Estonia voluntarily pay €1.4 million following tax drafting error

(AsiaGameHub) –   Estonian remote gambling operators have thus far voluntarily paid over €1.4 million ($1.62 million) to the Ministry of Finance following a legislative drafting mistake that temporarily eliminated their 2026 tax duties. 

These payments, made in February and March 2026, are meant to cover the amounts the government would have received if the Gambling Tax Act had been implemented as initially planned. 

ERR News reports that Ministry spokesperson Siiri Suutre said: “February donations—including income tax—totaled roughly €815,000, and as of now in March, about €595,000 has come in. The March number isn’t final, and we expect more donations.” 

The tax exemption stemmed from December 2025 amendments that accidentally left games of chance out of the taxable base. This legislative mistake meant remote gambling wasn’t taxed at the beginning of 2026. 

MP Aivar Kokk pointed out the error’s impact: “Games of chance and remote gambling were excluded from this year’s taxes, so online casino games aren’t taxed in 2026.” 

After the issue came to light, parliament quickly fixed the text by passing a technical amendment that restored a 5.5% flat tax on remote gambling starting 1 March 2026. The Riigikogu Finance Committee confirmed the correction aligns tax assessment with existing monthly reporting processes. 

Cautious expectations on reimbursement

The Estonian Association of Gambling Operators proposed a voluntary donation program. To date, only a small number of the 41 licensed remote operators have contributed. 

Finance Ministry’s Evelyn Liivamägi noted varying company attitudes. She was cautious about fully recouping lost tax revenue: “Life usually shows people are more eager to make promises than keep them.” 

Based on January and February declared income, the ministry estimates the two-month tax liability would have been around €3.5 million—slightly less than the earlier €4 million guess. Previous budget plans projected remote gambling tax revenue could hit €27 million for the year. Officials say they’ll only confirm the final shortfall after annual returns are done. 

The Ministry of Finance is still tracking voluntary payments, and the updated Gambling Tax Act is now active. 

This incident comes amid Estonia’s broader policy of positioning itself as a competitive iGaming market. The government has expressed goals to make the country a regional online gambling hub.