Remote gambling operators in Estonia have voluntarily paid a total of more than 1. 4 million after a drafting error in the tax law for 2026 accidentally removed their tax liabilities for a short period.
The amounts, which were earned in February and March of 2026, represented the shares that the government would have gotten if the Gambling Tax Act had been correctly applied from the start of 2026.
According to ERR News, Ministry of Finance spokesperson Siiri Suutre said:
Donations received in February, including income tax, totaled approximately €815,000 and so far in March around €595,000 has been received. The March figure is not final and additional donations are still expected to our knowledge.
The zero tax situation occurred as the legislative amendments approved in December 2025, due to a drafting error, removed lucky games from the taxable base, making remote gambling untaxed at the beginning of 2026.
Member of Parliament Aivar Kokk pointed out the impact:
Games of chance and remote gambling were left out of this year’s taxation, meaning online casino games are not being taxed in 2026.
Henceforth, the legislature resolved to move fast and double the technical amendment that would reinstate the 5.5 percent tax on remote gambling starting 1 March 2026. That update was meant to align the tax imposition with the regular monthly filing regimes as the Riigikogu Finance Committee has confirmed.
The Estonian Association of Gambling Operators proposed a voluntary payment. Only a handful of licensed remote operators however have contributed so far. Evelyn Liivamgi, a member of the Finance Ministry, said that the firms are responding in different ways and warned that it will be very difficult to fully recover the lost tax revenue.
She said:
Life generally shows that everyone is much more enthusiastic about making promises than later fulfilling them.
The Ministry has roughly estimated that the tax liability over a two-month period will be around 3.5 million based on the income reported for January and February and this figure is slightly lower than the first 4 million forecast. To give a comparison, the remote gambling tax revenue for the year was planned to be around 27 million. The officials noted that the accurate shortfall figure will be known only after checking the annual returns.
The Ministry continues to keep an eye on voluntary contributions; however, the revised Gambling Tax Act has been implemented now. Estonia’s entry into the competitive iGaming market has not been overlooked, as this issue shows their intention to position the country as the leading online gambling hub in the region.
