Austria is ending two decades of online gambling monopoly, but experts warn the licensing timeline is too tight. Felix Hohenthanner of Rapani Rechtsanwälte and OVWG president Simon Priglinger-Simader said this at an SBC Summit panel in Lisbon.
Applications open 1 January 2027, licences issue 1 October when Win2Day's exclusivity expires. Hohenthanner called it "a very ambitious schedule". Consultation on the draft law ran two weeks and drew over 100 responses, but the text went to Brussels almost unchanged. A possible challenge from Malta could delay entry into force. "Personally I doubt licensing will start in the first quarter of 2027," he said.
The finance ministry expects around 20 applications, but Priglinger-Simader said the number could fall below ten if key issues remain unresolved. The main barrier is the inability to deduct player refunds from legal claims against the tax base. Operators who worked in Austria without a licence must settle claims and arrears. Those who continue after 1 January will only be able to apply after 18 months.
Arthur Stadler of Stadler Partners forecasts five to ten applications. Priglinger-Simader considers 15 operators "a regulatory success". If no one applies, the government will have to revisit the terms.
The regulator responsible for IP and payment blocking does not yet exist. Hohenthanner could not name a start date for blocks. Drivers behind the reform include channelisation of around 30% and a budget deficit amid an EU procedure. "Players will only move to the legal market if the product is attractive," he said.
