Estonia’s Ministry of Finance is exploring plans to give municipalities greater authority in regulating gambling venues, according to a response from Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi to a parliamentary inquiry. Municipal authorities already regulate certain distance requirements from sensitive locations, but these rules could be expanded further.
At the moment, municipal authorities can refuse permission for gambling venues in certain areas, such as near schools and kindergartens. They can also impose restrictions on their operating hours.
Meanwhile, the Ministry might extend these powers. Proposed changes may allow municipal councils to designate additional areas where gambling establishments could be restricted, taking into account social factors and local environmental characteristics.
The restriction for casinos to be located exclusively in commercial buildings is also being considered.
Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi noted that further analysis is needed to expand the opportunities of local authorities.
Ligi stated: “To find additional possibilities that would give local authorities broader decision-making rights in the process of opening gambling halls, a more in-depth analysis is necessary.
“Initial ideas include the right to define zones where gambling is undesirable for social reasons, as well as an obligation to assess the impact of gambling halls on the safety and well-being of residents.”
The ministry stresses that such changes need to be discussed with all stakeholders and can be formalised as amendments to the Gambling Act.
A similar regulatory development has recently been enacted in Romania, where the Government issued an ordinance transferring authority to approve land-based gambling hall licenses to local authorities.
In other recent developments from Estonia, more than half of the online casinos operating under local licences did not pay gambling tax in January and February this year due to a legislative error.
Out of 41 licensed casinos in Estonia, 17 voluntarily transferred an amount equal to the tax rate to the state.
The Estonian Gambling Tax Act amendments, adopted in December and effective from 1 January 2026, will gradually reduce the online casino tax rate from 6% by 0.5 percentage points each year until it reaches 4%
