To finance sport, MEPs use more tax revenue from sports betting

To stop the fall in credits that Michel Barnier’s government plans to dedicate in 2025 to public sports policies, deputies adopted, on Saturday, October 19, a modification of the finance bill that increases the rate by 116 million euros applied to sports betting. taxes.

Gathered in the Finance Committee, the deputies brought from 100.4 million to 216.4 million euros the amount resulting from the tax on online sports betting that goes to the National Sports Agency (ANS), the state operator in matters of public sports policies.

With this increase in the resources provided by online sports betting, explained Benjamin Dirx (Together for the Republic), author of the amendment, it is about compensating for three things: the reduction of the amount of taxes allocated to the ANS, the non- payment of state credits assigned to the Generation 2024 plan for the creation of 5,000 sports facilities, as well as the reduction of credits for the Pass’Sport (aid of 50 euros for the registration of clubs aimed at young people from 6 to 30 years of modest families).

Resources for sport fall by 188 million euros

For the moment, the Government has programmed, according to the documents annexed to the 2025 budget project, a reduction of 188 million euros in expenses for what it calls the “sports mission”, ensured through the Ministry of Sports and its armed wing, the ANSWER.

This translates into a reduction of 6 million euros (up to 160 million) in the amount of taxes assigned to the ANS budget. Although an increase in the amounts derived from taxes on online sports betting is planned (from 34.6 million to 100.4 million euros), it does not compensate for the elimination of the provision (71.8 million euros) that It previously came from taxes collected on games operated by the FDJ excluding sports betting.

But it is above all in the credits of the general state budget that the reduction in spending on sports planned by the government for 2025 is noticeable: this financing should be reduced by almost 182 million euros, reaching 593 million.

In addition to a drop in support for high-level sport (– 30.4 million), this will be noticeable in commitments in favor of everyday sport (– 151.6 million). For this reason, 100 million euros allocated to the Generation 2024 plan will not be paid.

Pass’Sport financing will be reduced by 10 million euros (up to 75 million) and the program credits “2 hours of sports at the university” will be reduced by 4 million.

Uncertain future for the amendment

The National Association of Elected Sports Officials (Andes) is promoting greater use of taxes on sports betting to finance public sports policies, in particular to avoid “a blank year” in the creation and renewal of sports equipment.

emphasizing “exponential dynamism” sports betting, “with a performance of +16% in the first half of 2024”Local elected officials consider that an additional 116 million euros cannot be deducted from taxes on the latter “disturb the balance”.

However, at this point the amendment voted on Saturday by the Finance Committee does not compromise much. His future is uncertain. It will be necessary to put it to a vote again during the examination in public session, starting on Monday, October 21, of the revenue part of the draft state budget for 2025. Those elected will then start from the original version of the text presented by the Government. .

Furthermore, it is likely that, given the configuration of the National Assembly, Michel Barnier’s government will have its draft budget approved using article 49.3. And stick to your initial text.

This is what already happened in the fall of 2023, within the framework of the examination of the draft finance law for 2024. If amendments had been adopted aimed at increasing the amounts collected by the ANS for taxes applied to sports betting, both in the National Assembly as in the Senate they did not appear in the final text that the Government had imposed with article 49.3.