"A tax is a legal obligation, so if that obligation no longer exists, we cannot speak of a tax," said Ministry of Finance Deputy Secretary General Evelyn Liivamägi.

"However, we are analyzing whether and how companies might be able to voluntarily contribute in the meantime, until the obligation is reinstated—so that funding for culture and sports doesn't suffer."

Discussions between the Ministry of Finance and the Tax and Customs Board will determine whether voluntary payment is possible.

Riigikogu member Tanel Tein (Eesti 200), who advocated for lowering gambling taxes, told Vikerraadio on Thursday morning that no one yet knows how such payments might work.

"There is no solution on the table right now. But again, it has only been two and a half days. This is not an easy task," Tein said.

On Monday, it was revealed that gambling operators had been accidentally exempted from paying the remote gambling tax.

This year's state budget had projected €27 million in revenue from this tax, around €2 million per month.

First, the gambling firm Yolo Group, and then other members of the Estonian Association of Gambling Operators, including Betsafe, Bombay, Coolbet, Fenixbet, Grandx, Hitz Gaming, Ninja Casino, Olybet, Optibet, Paf, Tonybet, Unibet, Vana Lauri, and Vivatbet, said they were prepared to voluntarily pay the tax until the error is corrected.

On Wednesday, the Riigikogu started to correct the error. The bill could be adopted by the end of February.

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