Austria has taken a significant step toward reshaping its gambling landscape by submitting proposed Gambling Act reforms to the European Commission for review.
The Austrian Finance Ministry confirmed the draft has entered the EU’s Technical Regulation Information System, known as the TRIS notification procedure.
This submission triggers a three-month standstill period during which the Commission and other member states can examine the draft and issue formal comments.
Austria cannot adopt the legislation as law until that review window has closed, giving European partners an opportunity to raise concerns or objections.
The draft, certain details of which were revealed in May, proposes replacing the country’s current monopoly model with an open concession system for online gambling.
Central to the reform is a new regulatory framework designed to strengthen player protection while simultaneously tackling illegal gambling and opening the market to competition.
Companies that continue to offer unlicensed gambling services in Austria beyond 1 January 2027 would face an 18-month exclusion period from obtaining a future licence.
That exclusion window increases to 24 months from 2030, and applicants must also settle outstanding tax liabilities and unpaid player protection claims before being considered.
The government said these measures would support affected players while ensuring only compliant and responsible operators can enter the regulated market.
Enforcement against illegal gambling would also be strengthened through payment blocking, blacklisting, and network blocking measures under the proposed framework.
The reforms include a new digital supervision system to oversee a central cross-operator deposit limit, adding a further layer of financial accountability across the industry.
The number of casino concessions would be capped at 13, with bundled allocations permitted under certain defined circumstances, according to the draft proposals.
Player protection forms another central pillar of the reforms, with plans for a new cross-operator self-exclusion register bringing together exclusions from casinos, slot machines, and online gambling for the first time.
Mandatory deposit limits would be introduced for both online gambling and slot machines, with lower thresholds specifically applied to players aged between 18 and 26.
The submission marks a milestone in Austria’s long-anticipated effort to modernise gambling regulation and bring the country’s framework in line with broader European standards.
