Key Takeaways
- Tax changes to online poker in Italy.
- French regulator conducts problem gambling study.
- Further igaming regulation delays in Portugal possible.
Italy
Both houses of the Italian parliament have voted to pass the Stability bill which will now come into effect on January 1,2016.
The law includes a number of measures which affect live and online gambling. The most immediate change for online poker is the change in the way gaming taxes are calculated on tournaments. After January 1, operators will pay 20% of gross gaming revenue on tournament entry fees instead of the current 3% on total buy-in.
The change amounts to a tax reduction for online tournament poker. For example, a €10 tournament with a €1 fee—€10+€1—used to be taxed at 3% of the €11 total cost. Now the tax will be 20% of the fee—a reduction in taxes from €0.33 to €0.20.
