Headline: Estonia Scrambles to Fix Unintended Online Gambling Tax Exemption
Summary:
Estonian lawmakers are in a race against time to pass an emergency amendment to the country’s gambling tax law. A recent revision, which took effect on January 1, 2026, contained a critical drafting error. Due to poor wording, the new law accidentally allowed online casinos to avoid paying taxes this year, as the tax calculations were only explicitly applied to “games of skill,” omitting “games of chance” offered remotely. The Finance Committee, led by MP Tanel Tein, has introduced a fix to restore a uniform 5.5% tax on all remote games. The amendment is set to take effect on March 1, 2026, to prevent significant state revenue losses and ensure funding for public programs.
