Polish PM Tusk Pushes EU to Introduce Tax on Gambling

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk used the Visegrád Group summit in Bratislava to call for new EU revenue sources that would not fall on ordinary citizens.

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Speaking alongside leaders from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Ireland’s Micheál Martin, Tusk argued that gambling operators, cryptocurrency platforms, and large technology companies should be the ones footing the bill in the next EU budget cycle. 

Tusk explained: “I would like the European Parliament’s proposal, for instance, to be taken very seriously. I do not always agree with the European Parliament’s conclusions, but in this case, we are looking at proposals such as a digital tax, a crypto tax, and a gambling tax, levies targeting the giants that have been ruthlessly draining our money for years. 

“That is why I take this seriously: let them foot the bill, since they make the most profit, through these new revenue sources, rather than placing the burden on working people,” he added, according to an iGaming Europe report.

The Bratislava meeting was convened yesterday (Sep 10) to set priorities for the EU’s 2028–2034 budget, with cohesion funding, agriculture, and healthcare dominating the agenda. 

Any EU tax would face significant hurdles before it can stand

The ideas Tusk pointed to are already part of the debate over the next Multiannual Financial Framework. In July 2025, the European Commission put forward a package of new “own resources” that included a digital services levy, a gambling tax, and a tax on capital gains from cryptocurrency.

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Together, Brussels estimated these measures could raise about €11 billion each year. The European Parliament backed its position in April 2026 and confirmed it at the May plenary, with decisions expected before the end of 2026.

Each proposal, however, faces a tough road. The gambling levy, set at 3% of net turnover, could bring in €1.9 billion annually, but Malta has already promised to veto it.

Prime Minister Robert Abela told parliament in June that his country would block any EU‑level gambling tax, stressing that online gaming makes up more than 10% of Malta’s GDP. The island is also changing its own gambling VAT and tax regime from October 2026, adding another layer of complexity.

The digital services tax, projected to raise €5 billion a year, is equally contentious. Most of the burden would fall on American tech giants, raising fears of retaliation from Washington. Although the Commission based its figures on national digital taxes already in place in countries like Italy, Spain, and France, scaling that model across the EU is expected to meet resistance.

Because tax changes in the EU require unanimous approval from all 27 countries, even one veto can block the entire package. With Malta already promising to stand in the way and other governments wary of U.S. reaction, the road to a gambling or crypto tax looks set to be one of the hardest battles in the upcoming budget talks.

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