According to Estonian Gaming Operator Association (EHKL) director Tõnis Rüütel, there is no point in opening any more new casinos in Estonia.

“Generally speaking, yes, developments are such that analyses still indicate it probably isn’t worth building any more brick-and-mortar casinos in Estonia,” he said. “There’s likely no room left for more exclusive casinos here either.”

Rüütel says that a lot of brick-and-mortar casinos have been closed, but he considers this a positive development, as less attractive locations, for example, are shut down. Currently, there are 51 casino halls in operation in Estonia; last year saw five close their doors.

“An awful lot have closed,” he acknowledged. “I remember a time in the 1990s when there were 93 [casinos] in just Tallinn alone. It was pretty bad, because even the smallest kiosks bore the name gaming hall, since it only took eight slot machines to qualify as one. That’s not the case today; now you need at least 40 machines.”

Jekaterina Nikitina, director of the Excise Department at the Estonian Tax and Customs Board (MTA), said that there has been a decline in gambling tax revenues as well.

At the end of 2022, more than €14 million was received from gaming halls; in 2023, this figure had dropped by €1 million. In the first half of this year, receipts totaled €6 million.

“You also have to take into account here that there was a change in the gambling tax at the beginning of this year, which included an increase in the tax on gaming tables,” Nikitina noted. “That will have affected this figure as well, likely by year end – it will remain stable, around €13 million, or go down slightly.”

CityCasino director Meelis Luht confirmed that casino attendance has declined; one reason for this, he noted, was the popularity of online casinos.

Both the EHKL and the MTA have likewise noticed the trend of casinos increasingly moving online. According to Nikitina, in the past two years, the number of online casinos in Estonia has risen from 20 to 30.

“The big picture is that yes, brick-and-mortar casinos are gradually closing, however the online casino world is growing, and revenue trends are reflecting that,” she said.

—

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!