Mayor Nino Haase explains the decision to suspend the tax once again: "We want to specifically ease the burden on and support Mainz’s nightlife and music scene. A separate 'entertainment tax on dance events' not only sounds outdated, but would also pose a serious threat to the survival of parts of Mainz’s restaurant and event scene, thereby impoverishing the city’s cultural offerings. Such a tax also does not fit with the Mainz spirit—a lively and fun-loving city that enjoys celebrating and dancing.”

Mayor and Finance Commissioner Daniel Köbler sees this as a deliberate political decision to no longer tax dancing, but rather to focus more on taxing gambling: "In the past, dance events accounted for only a fraction of the city’s total entertainment tax revenue, and at the same time, the administrative burden of collecting it was considerable. Instead of taxing dance parties, the city of Mainz has decided to increase the entertainment tax on slot machines. This approach has noticeably eased the burden on the city of Mainz’s budget.”

Since 2023, no entertainment tax has been levied on dance events in Mainz. As of January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026, the entertainment tax on slot machines was gradually increased. The city of Mainz expects 6.2 million euros in revenue from the entertainment tax in 2026.