Austria Gambling Reform Hits EU Review: 13 Casino Licences by 2027

⏱ 3 min read

Austria's Ministry of Finance formally submitted its draft gambling law to the European Commission on 4 August 2026, triggering a three-month mandatory standstill before the legislation can be enacted. The reform ends a monopoly structure rooted in the Glücksspielgesetz of 1989, under which Casinos Austria AG and Österreichische Lotterien GmbH have held exclusive licences for over three decades.

Under the proposed framework, Austria would issue a maximum of 13 casino concessions and introduce open licensing for online gambling operators for the first time — with the market targeted to open in October 2027. The overhaul also introduces the country's first national exclusion register spanning all gambling verticals, mandatory deposit limits, and a centralised digital supervisory platform to enforce compliance.

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End of the Monopoly

Austria's gambling market has operated under a dual-monopoly model since 1989. Casinos Austria has held the exclusive right to operate twelve land-based casinos, while Österreichische Lotterien has controlled online gambling through its Win2Day platform. The new law would dissolve both privileges and replace them with a competitive multi-licence regime.

The reform caps land-based casino concessions at 13 licences, likely distributed in two packages — an expected split of six and seven licences — to ensure geographically balanced coverage across the country. Casinos Austria has publicly supported the package-based approach, while the Austrian Betting and Gaming Association (OVWG) raised concerns that the channelisation model may inadvertently push players toward unlicensed black-market operators rather than the new licensed platforms.

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Online Licensing and Transition Rules

The draft introduces open licensing for online operators — a fundamental structural shift from Austria's current blanket prohibition on cross-border online gambling. Operators wishing to be eligible for a licence must satisfy two hard conditions:

• Cease all services to Austrian consumers by 1 January 2027
• Settle outstanding tax obligations and resolve player compensation claims — approximately 20,000 Austrian consumers are estimated to have outstanding claims against currently unlicensed operators

Operators that miss the January 2027 deadline face an 18-month licensing ban, extended to 24 months for any cessation occurring from 2030 onwards. The EC's three-month review can run concurrently with Austria's parliamentary process, meaning the law could clear both hurdles before November 2026 if lawmakers move promptly.

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Player Protection Overhaul

The reform's consumer protection provisions are among the most comprehensive Austria has legislated in the gambling sector. Key measures include:

• National exclusion register: a single cross-vertical registry covering casinos, slot machines, and online platforms — Austria's first unified self-exclusion system
• Deposit limits: mandatory caps for online gambling and slot machines, with lower thresholds for players aged 18–26
• Slot machine restrictions: reduced maximum stakes and slower game speeds
• Mandatory cooling-off breaks: a required 90-minute pause after continuous play sessions
• Addiction risk assessments: operators must formally evaluate the addiction potential of each product they offer

A centralised digital supervisory platform will underpin enforcement, alongside new powers to block payments, blacklist operators, and impose network-level blocks on unlicensed sites targeting Austrian consumers.

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What Operators Need to Know

For operators currently serving Austrian players without authorisation, the 1 January 2027 cessation deadline is the critical commercial decision point. The penalty structure is explicitly designed to tighten over time, making early compliance the only rational path to licence eligibility. Operators that exit cleanly and settle player claims will join a pool of applicants competing for the new licences when the October 2027 market opening arrives.

Political analyst Felix Geyer cautioned that timeline slippage remains a real risk, noting Austria's legislative pace gives reason for scepticism about whether licences will issue on schedule. For operators active in adjacent EU markets, Austria's approach reinforces a now-familiar pattern: open licensing paired with stricter player protections, replacing court-driven monopoly enforcement.

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Austria vs. Comparable EU Markets

Market	Licensing Model	Online Status	Key Player Protection	Market Open
Austria	13 casino licences (capped); open online	Open licensing from 2027	National exclusion register; deposit limits; 90-min cooling-off breaks	Oct 2027 (targeted)
Finland	Multi-licence (Veikkaus monopoly ending)	Open from July 2027	Centralised player register planned	Jul 2027
Germany	Open (GlüStV 2021)	Open since Jul 2021	€1,000/month deposit cap; €1 max spin; OASIS exclusion register	Live
Netherlands	Open (KOA Act)	Open since Oct 2021	CRUKS exclusion register; operator deposit limits	Live

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Sources

Reporting draws on official Austrian government documentation, specialist iGaming trade press, and independent market analysis. Primary source listed first.

Given how slow political processes in Austria can be, I'm skeptical about whether they will be able to hand out licenses within 12 months.

— Felix Geyer, Political Analyst · Quoted in SCCG Management analysis, August 2026