The government of Lithuania could be changing the method by which it taxes casinos.
The Baltic nation is moving toward switching from a fee per table or machine to a tax based on Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR.) The bill that would do this was introduced by the Ministry of Finance and it will be voted on in the Seimas, the country’s legislative branch.
Currently slots pay €260 per month for Category A machines, which offer unlimited winnings, and €130 for Category B, which have limited stakes. The fee for a gaming table is €2,300.
The ministry proposal would tax casinos at 18 percent of GGR.
Minister of Finance Gintarė Skaistė commented recently, “So far, we are seeing tax inequalities in the gambling sector. Currently, a gambling business pays a flat fee, not a percentage of the revenue generated.”
He added, “We want a clearer, one-size-fits-all taxation system that is fairer: in the months of higher turnover, businesses would pay more, in lower months they would pay less. At the same time, the new procedure will increase the transparency of the gambling sector and ensure fairer taxation.
