Today at Palazzo Chigi, the majority summit on the next budget law takes place, with the participation of Premier Giorgia Meloni and Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti.
The meeting aims to define the main measures of a budget worth approximately 16 billion, which will need to combine fiscal rigor with support for strategic sectors. Among the immediate topics on the table are pensions, taxation, employment, and business incentives. On the pension front, the government intends to block the automatic increase in retirement age scheduled for 2027, evaluating solutions that reduce its economic and social impact. On taxation, work is underway on a possible income tax cut for the middle class, while the write-off of tax bills and refinancing of measures supporting families and healthcare remain to be defined.
In parallel, the reorganization of public gaming represents one of the expected chapters of the next budget, at least from the industry and various stakeholders involved, even though it will probably not be addressed in today’s summit. After the start of reorganization for online gaming, the retail sector continues to operate in a fragmented regulatory framework, without a unified text that brings together the numerous existing provisions. The tax delegation extended to 2026 provides for specific intervention to bring order to this sector, ensuring regulatory certainty for operators and consumer protection.
Gaming hypotheses
The gaming reorganization, as is well known, will need to balance multiple objectives: ensure stable revenues for the State, protect workers and businesses in the supply chain, combat illegal gambling, and protect the most vulnerable segments of the population. The regulatory complexity, combined with the need for coordination between the MEF and local authorities, makes the topic particularly delicate and strategic for the next budget law: even though, on this occasion, the government might consider using the financial budget to make other interventions related to the sector. On one hand, to resolve the various criticalities that have emerged (or rather, exploded) in recent weeks: from the regulation on online gaming in public establishments – as also anticipated by Undersecretary Federico Freni – which could be addressed in the budget law, to the complex management of land-based gaming concessions, following the recent ruling by the Council of State that changed the game, deeming the current extensions incompatible with EU law. But on the same occasion, however, the executive could also evaluate other measures aimed at raising funds and finding the difficult balance of accounts: for example, by bringing forward one of the next single-concession tenders. But for now, everything is still to be defined.
Thus, while today the majority’s attention is focused on the immediate issues of the budget, the gaming sector remains a chapter to be addressed in the coming months, destined to impact both tax revenue and the regulation of a market of economic and social relevance.
