On Wednesday, the Riigikogu voted 51-31 to lower the online gambling tax from 6 to 4 percent over two years.

Prime Minister and Reform Party chairman Kristen Michal and Minister of Education and Eesti 200 leader Kristina Kallas were questioned about former finance minister Mart Võrklaev's claim at the government's weekly press conference on Thursday.

"I certainly do not know of any such threats having been made to anyone anywhere. I do not confirm such a thing. Definitely not," Kallas told reporters.

"I will confirm again what Kristina said," Michal added.

Võrklaev told ERR on Thursday that the author of the amendment, Eesti 200 MP Tanel Tein, had threatened to collapse the coalition if the bill to amend the Gambling Tax Act did not receive support.

"Tanel Tein clearly said that if this bill does not progress, there will be no coalition. I do not consider the use of a political 'suicide vest' appropriate," Võrklaev said.

"It's no secret the coalition has been held hostage over it: the threat has been that if this bill doesn't pass, then the state budget won't get the votes and the coalition will fall," he said.

Tein: Võrklaev's claims do not hold up

Tanel Tein denied making any threats when approached for comment by ERR.

"I think this is a good moment for everyone to take a deep breath and calm down. If we look at the facts, we already agreed with the Reform Party in the spring-summer coalition agreement on what we were going to do. These claims that someone has made threats somewhere simply don't hold up," he said.

"If Mart Võrklaev can tell me the time and place where I supposedly said this and someone else was present, I would be happy to hear it. I'm not so old that I would not remember something like that. I believe Mart Võrklaev is just exaggerating. I do not want to call anyone a liar, but others can decide for themselves," the MP told ERR.

Tein suggested Võrklaev may have had a "personal motive" for making such claims, as his own, because of his approach to the car tax which Tein said "turned the dynamics of Estonian politics completely upside down."

"But if I were Mart, I'd stay pretty quiet on finance matters for a good while," he said.

The Eesti 200 MP added that if there were any issues with the gambling tax reduction, it would not have been included in the coalition agreement signed earlier this year.

"This was previously agreed upon and has passed the Finance Committee and the first, second, and now also third readings in the Riigikogu with very solid support—there hasn't been any wavering anywhere," he said.

Tein added, that contrary to Võrklaev's claim that there will be less money, culture and sports will receive more funding in the future due to the change.

Center: This is a hostage government

Chair of the Center Party's parliamentary group Lauri Laats said Võrklaev's vote in favor, despite his views, clearly shows the coalition's internal climate and working culture.

"It is sad to see that, as a result of an ultimatum from one Eesti 200 MP and in the name of preserving positions, the Reform Party is willing to support a bill that cuts funding from Estonian culture and increases the risk of money laundering. This is yet more proof that the current coalition members are not statesmen and that decisions are made based solely on self-interest. This is a hostage government," Laats said.

He added that Kallas and Michal's comments at the press conference sounded absurd.

"The political reality is that the current coalition's support barely exceeds 10 percent, and with less than a year and a half until the next Riigikogu elections, every effort is being made to keep the government together at all costs. In countries with strong democracies, the prime minister would take responsibility in such a situation and call snap elections," Laats said.

On Wednesday, the Riigikogu passed the bill amending the Gambling Tax Act with 51 votes in favor, the smallest majority possible. The bill will lower the online gambling tax from 6 percent to 4 percent.

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