Estonian remote gambling operators have voluntarily stepped up and paid around €1.4 million in taxes to the Ministry of Finance after Estonian legislation accidentally...
Estonia dismisses Gambling Tax typo adviser
After Estonian legislation accidentally removed the online casino tax, the unnamed adviser who was responsible for drafting the mistake was dismissed.
The online gambling tax error has since been corrected through a revised version of the Gambling Tax Act, which was passed by lawmakers on February 10, 2026, and the director of the Riigikogu Chancellery, Antero Habicht, revealed that the dismissal was not just because of the typo but also because of other problems that were discovered during the disciplinary process.
Estonia is gradually decreasing the country’s gambling tax by half a percentage point each year and aiming to go from 6% to 4% from 2029. According to the new legislation, a 5.5% gambling tax rate has been set for 2026; however, the language of the law referred only to skill games and not to games of chance, meaning that online gambling will not be included in the taxing system in 2026.
The decision to lower the gambling tax in Estonia was made in an effort to transform the country into an international hub for iGaming, similar to Malta and Gibraltar, as, over time, the tax rate will become lower than the 5% set in Malta.
It’s estimated that the remote gambling tax will generate more than €27 million in 2026.
After Estonian legislation accidentally removed the online casino tax, on February 10, 2026, the Estonian Parliament restored taxation and approved a 5.5% uniform tax rate.
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