'Future PN government would veto EU online gaming tax': MEP David Casa
More than 10% of Malta’s GDP is linked to the online gaming sector
A future PN government would veto any EU-level online gaming tax, PN MEP David Casa pledged on Wednesday.
Earlier this year, socialist MEP Victor Negrescu called for an EU-wide online iGaming tax to strengthen the bloc’s revenue base and curb illegal and black-market gambling.
The EU parliament alone cannot levy EU-wide taxes. That would require the EU’s 27 governments to agree.
The proposal has already drawn criticism from Maltese MEPs Peter Agius and Alex Agius Saliba.
Addressing plenary late on Wednesday, Casa raised concerns over the proposal, which he said would place EU-licensed operators at a competitive disadvantage while incentivising the relocation of businesses to third countries and pushing consumers toward unregulated and illegal grey markets.
“As things stand, this approach would prejudice compliant EU-based companies that already operate under robust regulatory standards and consumer protection frameworks.
"Rather than strengthening the European market, it risks exporting business outside the Union and pushing consumers to illegal operators who operate with impunity, pay no taxes and don’t even apply the most basic consumer safeguards,” Casa said.
He said more than 10% of Malta’s GDP is linked to the online gaming sector, which supports thousands of highly skilled jobs and livelihoods.
“No other member state comes close to Malta’s level of economic exposure in this area. Malta would therefore be among the countries most negatively affected by misguided policies that drive investment and employment away from Europe,” he said.
His remarks also underscored the institutional reality that EU's own resources require unanimity among member states.
He described the proposal as “a non-starter”.
Casa added that while he cannot speak to the determination of the present government in view of this proposal being socialist-led, a future Nationalist government would firmly oppose any such measure at the EU level, saying it would move quickly to “veto it without hesitation”.
He concluded by encouraging the proponents not to waste their time and to instead focus on identifying alternative own resources that do not undermine legitimate industries, economic competitiveness, or European jobs.