Austria online market to open in 2027 with ‘cooling off’ period
Austria’s government has finalised a draft law that will bring an end to its long-held online gaming monopoly, opening the market to multiple operators from October 2027.
However, according to the latest reports, operators will face scrutiny of their compliance history before they are allowed to enter the legal market.
On Friday, the Krone newspaper revealed that a “cooling off” period will be enforced when the law comes into force next year. Under this rule, companies that have operated illegally in the market over the previous 18 months would be temporarily banned from entry. This would increase to 24 months from 2030.
The new rule will strike a major blow to Austria’s grey market operators, many of whom currently take bets in Austria under an EU licence. As well as complying with the cooling off period, these operators will also be obliged to settle unpaid taxes and player claims rulings from previous years.
Gap in the legal market
Speaking to iGB last week, the Austrian Betting and Gaming Association (OVWG) said the proposed changes would “kill” the government’s channelisation efforts.
“The federal government wants to bring players into the regulated market, strengthen player protection and secure tax revenues,” said association president Simon Priglinger-Simader.
“With cooling off, the opposite happens: tax-paying operators must leave, the black market jumps in, existing revenues collapse and already budgeted additional revenues fail to materialise.”
If companies are banned before licences are even issued, he added, it could create a gap in the legal market.
Nevertheless, the decision is likely to be welcomed by Casinos Austria, the land-based casino monopolist whose subsidiary, Austrian Lotteries, currently holds the sole online gaming licence.
Along with Tipico-owned Admiral, Casinos Austria had publicly spoken out in favour of a licensing hiatus for the grey market.
Compromise on stake limits
In addition to the “cooling off” period, Austria’s three-party coalition has also reached a compromise on staking limits.
In an earlier draft leaked in May, the Ministry of Finance had sketched out plans to slash staking limits on slots from €10 to €2. Amid backlash from the industry – including Casinos Austria – this has now been amended to €5.
Meanwhile, potential wins will remain capped at €10,000, rather than the €2,000 set out in a previous draft, and jackpots will still be permitted.
Players will, however, be subject to a weekly deposit cap of €1,680, with much stricter rules for under-26s. Game mechanics will be heavily regulated, with mandatory breaks and limits on the speed of play.
Land-based casino licences could also be opened up to multiple licensees – although not an unlimited number. According to the latest draft, 13 land-based casinos will be up for grabs in the next licensing tender. These could be awarded as individual licences or combined into multiple “packages”.