The country’s new coalition government will keep the state gaming monopoly intact
Austria has decided to maintain its online casino monopoly instead of opening the market to competition. The new coalition government, made up of the People’s Party (ÖVP), the Social Democrats (SPÖ), and the Liberal Party (NEOS), plans to issue a single 15-year online casino license once the current one expires in 2027. This marks a shift from previous expectations, as the former government was reportedly preparing to allow more operators to enter the market.
To address concerns about conflicts of interest, the government intends to establish an independent gambling authority. This new regulatory body would oversee both online and land-based casino licensing, removing the process from the Finance Ministry, which holds a 33.3% stake in Casinos Austria. However, setting up such an authority in time for the upcoming licensing period may be challenging and could face legal hurdles.
Casinos Austria currently operates under an exclusive online casino license through its Win2Day platform, granted by the Finance Ministry in 2012. The company also holds a monopoly on land-based casinos and runs lotteries through its Austrian Lotteries division, which has a network of 5,000 retail locations. Industry groups, including the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), have pushed for Austria to allow more competition, arguing that the current monopoly model is outdated.
The new government also plans to increase taxes on gambling revenue, potentially raising the current rate from 2% to 5%. Additionally, measures such as site and payment blocking will be strengthened to crack down on unlicensed operators.
There is also discussion about centralizing sports betting regulations at the national level, though this is expected to face resistance from individual states.
Meanwhile, a recent decision by the Maltese Civil Court has ruled against enforcing Austrian court judgments that required operators to refund players who gambled on unlicensed sites. The ruling stated that Austria’s monopoly system conflicts with European Union law, which supports the free movement of services across member states.
