Estonia Plans Gambling Act Amendments Without Stricter Regulations

The Ministry of Finance has confirmed that draft amendments to Estonia’s Gambling Act of 2008 will be presented by mid-year, with no intention of tightening gambling laws. Rainer Osanik, head of financial policies and intelligence, has been tasked with drafting the proposed changes.

Providing an update to the Estonian parliament’s Economic Affairs Committee, Osanik stated that draft amendments would be available for feedback by June, with the goal of implementing the new legislation in the first half of 2026.

Regarding the anticipated changes, Osanik explained that the amendments would involve a review of regulations related to online game designs and systems. This follows requests from committee members for measures addressing in-play mechanics and incentives. Committee Chairman Jaak Aab expressed concern over research indicating a rise in the "pre-addiction phases" of gambling.

Another significant change proposed by the Ministry of Finance is the expansion of Estonia’s national gambling self-exclusion scheme, HAMPI. The amendments would allow family members to request exclusion for relatives, whereas currently, players can only voluntarily add themselves to the list. The Ministry is also considering allowing courts to mandate exclusions, although there are concerns that the legal process could deter some individuals from seeking such measures.

Despite ongoing concerns regarding minors engaging in gambling activities, Osanik stated that his current mandate does not include provisions to regulate loot boxes or virtual currency transactions in video games. Estonia maintains a strict minimum gambling age of 21.

Additionally, the Ministry of Finance does not plan further changes to gambling taxation following last year’s increase in remote gambling tax, Toto tax, and games of chance tournament tax from 5 to 6 percent, alongside a rise in lottery sales tax from 18 to 22 percent. However, Osanik noted that the Ministry would be reviewing feedback on the new tax structure in the coming months.

A renewed effort to ban gambling advertisements in Estonia also appears unlikely. In 2023, the coalition government comprising the Reform Party, Social Democrats, and Eesti 200 considered prohibiting gambling ads on TV and radio, but the opposition blocked the initiative. Committee members questioned Osanik about the possibility of revisiting the proposal, but he indicated that political resistance would likely limit any revisions to the Gambling Act to clarifying advertising rules and banning misleading claims, such as suggesting that gambling could resolve financial difficulties.

Elsewhere in the Baltic region, Latvia is progressing with new regulations aimed at significantly limiting land-based gambling in Riga. The city council has prepared binding regulations defining areas where gambling would be restricted, effectively confining operations to a few designated zones rather than enforcing an outright ban.

Meanwhile, the Lithuanian Ministry of Finance has submitted draft technical requirements for remote gambling platforms to the European Commission (EC) for review. Developed by the country’s gambling regulator, the LPT, the proposed regulations seek to establish a "general standard for online gambling platforms to operate in Lithuania." The outlined requirements cover IT security, game controls, technical compliance, data management, and intellectual property protections.

By fLEXI tEAM