Ministry of Finance takes next step towards implementing a new gambling law, which would establish a regulated licensing system for iGaming
Austria is moving forward with plans to re-regulate the country’s online gambling market after submitting draft legislation to the European Commission for review.
The proposed draft legislation was sent to Brussels on Tuesday, with the EU notification triggering a three-month standstill period which ends on 5 November.
A final decision on the law cannot be made until this period has expired, although the Austrian parliamentary process will continue during this time.
The government said that the core of the reform is the re-regulation of online gambling and the modernization of player protection, focusing on a wide range of player-oriented measures.
“Improving player protection to avert personal and societal risks is a key priority of the amendment,” said the Ministry of Finance.
For the first time, a centralized exclusion register, spanning all operators and all types of gambling, will be introduced in Austria.
This will record both operator-imposed exclusions and self-exclusions, covering land-based casinos, slot machines, and online gambling.
Other responsible gambling protections include the introduction of deposit limits for online gambling and slot machines, with young adults receiving special protection through lower limits for individuals aged 18 to 26.
Scientifically grounded research is also being promoted through a statutory requirement to submit analyses of the potential for gambling addiction.
For slot machines, game speed and stake amounts will be reduced, and a mandatory cooling-off period will be introduced after 90 minutes of play.
The draft law envisages an open licensing process for online gambling, bringing an end to the current monopoly held by Casinos Austria and its win2day brand.
To apply for an online license, operators that were previously operating in Austria illegally must cease their operations by 1 January 2027, in addition to meeting strict requirements.
Failure to withdraw from the market by this deadline will result in an 18-month exclusion period for license eligibility, increasing to 24 months from 2030 onwards.
In addition, all outstanding levy debts not barred by the statute of limitations and any unpaid claims related to player protection must be settled.
The government said that this would ensure “justice” for approximately 20,000 affected players in Austria.
The legal gambling market will be safeguarded through measures including payment blocking, blacklisting, and network blocking.
“These measures aim to significantly increase the rate at which players are channeled from illegal to legal offerings,” said the Ministry. “Furthermore, a digital supervisory system for online gambling is being established to implement a centralized, cross-operator deposit limit.”
The amendment also includes new regulations regarding the awarding of land-based casino licenses which are currently held by Casinos Austria.
The number of licenses is set at 13, with the option to award them in packages.
In the event of a potential package award, the government said that priority will be given to minimising competitive pressure between casinos, thereby strengthening player protection, and ensuring a balanced distribution of value.