Tax & Legal

An Austrian request for a preliminary ruling concerns a repayment claim against a Maltese online casino. Malta had introduced a law to prevent enforcement. However, Malta might perhaps find itself at odds with the ECJ. In his opinion, the Advocate General sees a fair chance of overturning this restriction and paving the way for numerous players in Europe to reclaim their losses.

In a most recent decision, the Supreme Tax Court held that winnings from online poker games can be subject to income tax. If a poker player plays regularly and successfully in poker tournaments, the gains are qualified as income from a trade or business.

In a resolution regarding the request for suspension of payment the Supreme Tax Court endorsed the different VAT treatment of terrestrial (physical) gambling versus VAT exempt online gambling. Furthermore, the court held that this unequal treatment is not contrary to the EU principles of fiscal neutrality.

Transactions made in exchange for redeemable play money as part of an online game in virtual space are subject to VAT. This was decided by the Cologne Fiscal Court in August 2019. The final decision of the Supreme Tax Court is expected soon due to the fact that the case has now been pending since January 2020.