Austria is preparing to open its online gambling market to multiple licensed operators for the first time, ending a long-running monopoly arrangement.
A leaked draft of the country’s Gambling Reform 2025, dated 20 May 2026, sets out the conditions under which Austria intends to liberalise its online gambling sector.
Online operators seeking a concession would be required to settle all outstanding player claims before being granted permission to offer games legally in Austria.
The draft states that all legally binding civil court judgments issued by Austrian courts in favour of players must have been satisfied before a concession is granted.
Any new judgments issued during the application process must also be fulfilled within the open performance period before a licence is handed over.
Online concessions would be capped at five years for an initial grant and 10 years on renewal, with a 45% gambling tax applied to gross gaming revenue.
The market could be due to launch as soon as October 2027, driven by Austria’s need to raise cash amid a heavy budget deficit.
Several of the largest European gambling operators, including evoke, Lottoland and Betway, remain at loggerheads with Austrian courts over player claims cases, with thousands of such cases currently working their way through local courts.
The draft also states that applicants must have “fully disclosed and paid all outstanding amounts of tax due” and submitted full records of stakes, winnings and bonuses in a form allowing electronic verification.
Online concession applicants would be required to hold paid-in capital of at least €10m and be organised as a corporation with a supervisory board registered in the EU or European Economic Area.
Strict player protection rules would apply once operators entered the market, including deposit limits of €250 per week for players aged under 26.
Players aged 26 and over would face a monthly deposit limit of €1,680, with any limit increases only taking effect after 72 hours.
The draft introduces an online gambling supervisory system described as a cross-provider register designed to enforce deposit limits consistently across all licensed operators.
Online licensees would additionally be required to establish and maintain a “safe server” system giving the gambling supervisory authority direct and permanent access to gaming transaction records.
The broader reform also opens casino concessions to competition for the first time, with up to 12 licences available and a 30% casino tax rate set out in the text.
Several existing casino concessions, including those for Casino Salzburg and Casino Wien, are extended under the draft until December 2028.
