Considerable increase tax proceeds from betting and gambling

Tax proceeds from betting and gambling increased from less than 200 million euro in 2006 to nearly 450 million euro in 2009. Since mid-2008, profits from gambling machines are also taxed.

Tax proceeds from betting and gambling

Increase over the past three years

Tax revenue from casino gambling, lotteries, bingo drives and TV quizzes has grown considerably in recent years.
Tax proceeds from betting and gambling have grown over the last three years by approximately 30 percent, despite the economic crisis.

Two changes in betting tax legislation

The robust growth of tax proceeds from betting and gambling is attributable to two tax legislation changes. Firstly, the general tax rate for gross prize amounts was raised from 25 to 29 percent in 2006. Secondly, since July 2008, profits from gambling machines are also taxed.
Operators of gambling machines now have to pay tax over the difference between stakes and the amount paid out in prizes, whereas in the past, they had to pay turnover tax. Without the tax on gambling machine profits, tax proceeds would hardly have grown in 2008 and 2009.

Laurens Cazander