Austria Unveils Draft Online Gambling Liberalisation Provisions for Consultation

Austria's government has launched public consultations on the liberalisation of its online gambling market, publishing initial draft provisions. These proposed reforms represent the most significant gambling changes in Austria in 26 years, with a target launch date set for October 2027.

Key Takeaways

• Draft provisions require eligible operators to have a share capital of at least €10m.
• A licence fee of €70,000 has been set for operators seeking to offer online gambling.
• Player protection measures include weekly deposit caps and a proposed centralised self-exclusion registry.

Regulatory Framework Details

Any eligible operator can apply for a licence if they meet specified criteria, including having a supervisory board, effective AML and player protection compliance, and a share capital of at least €10m. This share capital requirement is notably higher than in other European jurisdictions such as Estonia casino market, which requires €1m, and Finland, which has no set minimum. Operators will also need to prepare €70,000 for a licence under the new draft amendment.

The draft conditions include a cooling-off period, mandating that applicants cease all previous offerings in Austria by 1 January 2027 until their licence is granted. Breaking this rule will result in an 18-month licence bar. Licences will only be granted to operators from a home state where Austrian gaming regulation judgements are enforceable, a point which draws attention to Malta’s controversial Bill 55. Operators must also have resolved all tax debts and outstanding player protection claims prior to market entry.

Player Protection and Market Controls

Player protection measures include weekly deposit caps of €250 for 18-26-year-olds and €1,680 for those aged 26 and over, with an option for increased limits on a case-by-case basis for players aged 23 and above. Online play will be limited to €5 per stake, with a total win limit capped at €10,000. Technical provisions mandate each spin to be two seconds long, along with a cooling-off break after a 90-minute game session, impacting the design of games from various casino content suppliers. The ban on jackpot features will be lifted, and the number of land-based licences statewide will be set at 13.

The regulator will be granted payment blocking powers to blacklist IBANs and issue blocking orders to payment providers, with IP blocking to be facilitated through AWS, Cloudflare, and Google. A centralised self-exclusion registry is also proposed for all forms of gambling except lottery, which will remain under the management of the state's Win2Day operator.

Consultation Period

Stakeholders have until 15 July 2026 to submit their feedback on the proposed framework, following the triparty coalition's agreement to target October 2027 for the market launch.

Sources: Austria publishes full list of draft online gambling provisions