SBC Summit: End of Austria’s iGaming monopoly is ‘huge’ but experts urge caution over timeline
“To be honest, it’s huge.” That was how lawyer Felix Hohenthanner summed up Austria’s move to open its online gambling market. His firm, Rapani Rechtsanwälte, advises on regulatory matters.
He spoke to iGB alongside OVWG president Simon Priglinger-Simader after Tuesday’s panel – “DACH in the Driver’s Seat: Austria’s Landmark Shift to a Multi-Licence Market” – at the SBC Summit 2026 in Lisbon.
“It’s a huge shift for every stakeholder in Austria, because the monopoly has been entrenched for around 20 years. It’s exciting news for the industry in Austria,” Hohenthanner said.
Two or three years ago, the pair added, few would have thought such a change possible. The main drivers, they said, were a channelisation rate of around 30% and the state’s need for tax income amid an EU deficit procedure.
But the excitement is tempered by caution, as the panel discussed. Under the draft law, applications will open on 1 January 2027 and licences become valid on 1 October, when Win2Day’s sole online licence expires. Hohenthanner called it “a very ambitious schedule”, noting that some procedural steps have already been cut.
The consultation lasted just two weeks and drew more than 100 submissions, yet the draft went to Brussels essentially unchanged. A planned submission from Malta could now delay the law’s entry into force.
“Personally, I doubt there will be a running licensing process in Q1 2027. But we’ll see,” he said. Does he hope the timeline holds? “I really hope so, as a regulatory lawyer.”
The price of entry
Priglinger-Simader is equally measured about demand across Austria’s iGaming market. His trade association has held numerous meetings with the governing parties over the past two years.
“It could easily be 20 [applications], that’s what the finance ministry is expecting, and what they told us,” he said. “We said it might be fewer than 10 if the main issues aren’t addressed.”
He highlights the non-deductibility of player claims refunds from the tax basis, as the most likely deal-breaker for applicants.
Operators previously active in Austria must also settle player claims and back taxes. Those still offering services after 1 January face an 18-month wait before they can apply.
On stage, Stadler Partners founding partner Arthur Stadler predicted no more than five to ten applicants.
Enforcement is the other unknown. The regulator that would use payment and IP blocking has yet to be set up. Asked on stage when blocking would start, Hohenthanner said: “I’d be a magician if I could give you a date.”
Priglinger-Simader told the panel that 15 operators “would be a success for the regulation”. If applications fail to arrive in early 2027, he said, the government may need to consider adjustments.
Hohenthanner puts it more simply: “You only get players into a regulated market if the legal product is attractive.”