Austria Moves Closer to Opening Its Gambling Market
Austria’s Ministry of Finance has submitted its draft gambling law to the European Commission for review.
The submission started a mandatory three-month standstill period. During this time, the European Commission can assess whether the proposal follows EU rules on state aid and the single market. Austria can continue its parliamentary process at the same time.
The draft law would open the country’s online gambling market to more licensed operators. Companies currently serving Austrian players without permission must leave the market by January 1, 2027, to become immediately eligible for a licence.
Operators that continue offering illegal services would face an 18-month waiting period. This would increase to 24 months from 2030. Applicants must also settle unpaid taxes and outstanding player claims.
The reform includes a national self-exclusion register covering online gambling, casinos and slot machines. It would also introduce central deposit limits, with lower limits for players aged 18 to 26.
Other measures include lower slot stakes, slower game speeds and a required break after 90 minutes of continuous play. Authorities could use payment blocking, blacklists and network blocking against unlicensed operators.
