Austria Submits Online Gambling Reform to Brussels
Austria.- 6 August 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com Austria has submitted its draft online gambling reform to the European Commission, proposing to replace the existing monopoly with an open licensing system for multiple operators.
The notification begins the European review process preceding the final approval of one of the most substantial changes to Austria’s gambling framework in several decades.
News Details
The proposal would allow different companies to apply for permission to offer online casino products in Austria, provided they meet strict financial, corporate, technological and compliance requirements.
Applicants must hold at least EUR 10 million in paid-up capital, maintain adequate anti-money laundering systems and demonstrate the ability to implement mandatory player-protection measures.
An initial licence could be granted for a maximum of five years, while subsequent renewals could last for up to ten years.
The proposed regime would not impose a numerical limit on licences, allowing all operators satisfying the legal requirements to participate in the authorisation process.
Industry Context
The reform is intended to replace the framework under which a single operator currently holds the right to provide online casino products in the country.
The new system would introduce a centralised exclusion register covering operators and different forms of gambling, alongside a common mechanism for supervising deposit limits.
Players aged between 18 and 25 would be permitted to deposit up to EUR 250 per week, while the general limit for customers aged 26 and above would be EUR 1,680 per month.
Higher limits could be approved in selected cases following an assessment of the customer’s financial capacity and the implementation of additional behavioural monitoring.
The draft also includes website and payment-blocking measures targeting unlicensed operators, alongside public lists of illegal businesses.
Next Steps or Impact
The European Commission and other member states may examine the proposal during the standstill period required under the technical-regulation notification procedure.
Austria will not be able to adopt the notified provisions definitively until that period has ended and any European observations have been considered.
Operators currently serving Austrian customers without a domestic licence will have to withdraw by 1 January 2027 to avoid additional exclusion periods from the future regulated market.
Applicants will also be required to settle outstanding gambling-tax obligations and comply with final Austrian court judgments obtained by players before receiving a licence.
The existing exclusive licence will expire on 30 September 2027, after which the transition towards the multi-licensing system is expected to begin.
Editó: @fonta
