Austria's finance ministry has submitted a draft gambling reform to the European Commission for mandatory review. The three-month assessment will check compliance with EU state-aid and single-market rules while parliamentary debate begins in parallel.
The bill introduces a national self-exclusion register covering land-based casinos, slots and online platforms. Deposit limits will apply to online gambling and slots, with stricter thresholds for players aged 18 to 26. Slot machines will face caps on maximum stake and spin speed, plus a mandatory break after 90 minutes of continuous play. Operators must assess the addictive potential of their products.
Online licensing will open, but with transitional constraints. Unlicensed operators must exit by 1 January 2027 or face an 18-month block, rising to 24 months from 2030. Applicants must clear tax debts and settle claims from around 20,000 players. The Austrian Association of Betting and Gaming (OVWG) doubts the transition will push traffic to state-backed Win2Day — the black market may gain more ground.
Enforcement tools include a digital platform with centralised deposit controls, payment blocking and ISP-level restrictions on unlicensed sites. Casino licences will be capped at 13, possibly bundled. Authorities plan to control geographic distribution and prevent oversupply.
Casinos Austria, the current monopoly holder, is lobbying to keep the bundled system. Former employee Niklas Sattler argues bundles would lock out smaller operators and favour a second giant such as Merkur. Political analyst Felix Geyer doubts licences can be issued within 12 months. If the schedule holds, the market would open in October 2027.
