The Riigikogu's Finance Committee discussed a bill of amendments to the Gambling Tax Act aimed at correcting a legislative mistake that eliminated the tax for online casinos this year. The bill is scheduled for its first reading on Tuesday.

Lawmakers said it is too early to say how much revenue the state will lose due to the error.

MP and former finance minister Mart Võrklaev (Reform) said the committee discussed when the tax could take effect to minimize any shortfall in revenue.

Committee members also examined whether companies willing to pay voluntarily could do so.

"The Ministry of Finance and the Estonian Tax and Customs Board (MTA) said there is no official way to pay more tax than required," Võrklaev confirmed.

Companies can, however, consider direct donations to the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, with income tax applied. "Part of that would go to the state budget, part to the Cultural Endowment," he added. "The same logic as the gambling tax."

MP Aivar Kokk (Isamaa) proposed reinstating the tax at a higher rate than the initially planned 5.5 percent.

"Since the tax will essentially go unpaid for nearly two months, the rate could be increased to ensure the full €27 million is collected over the year," he said. "Whether the coalition supports that remains to be seen, but legally it's the only proper option for making sure the tax is paid."

Võrklaev said Kokk's proposal is worth considering, but carries risks.

The trickiest aspect, he said, is the fact that the Taxation Act requires six months' notice for any tax changes, and waiting that long isn't practical.

"His proposal made sense in some ways, but the six-month notice requirement is really the sticking point here," Võrklaev said.

Total cost will take months to determine

He stressed that the legislative process in the Riigikogu allows for changes to be made to a bill after its first reading.

"If such a proposal is put forward, we'll need to carefully consider those things," the former finance minister said. "Either way, the money ought to make its way back to culture and sports."

He acknowledged the potential loss to the state budget. "It will take a few months to determine exactly how much the error cost," Võrklaev said.

Siiri Suutre, a PR adviser at the Ministry of Finance, said the ministry's summer forecast had projected about €2 million a month in remote gambling revenue for the first half of 2026.

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