TLDR Austria’s Finance Ministry has drafted a law to end its online casino monopoly and allow multiple operators to apply for licenses Operators must settle outstanding court rulings and pay backdated taxes to qualify, which could lock out smaller companies Weekly deposit limits would cap young players under 26 at €250 and older players at €1,680 Maximum stakes would drop to €2 per spin, jackpots would be banned, and max winnings cut to €2,000 A new independent gambling authority may not be established until 2030, and the timeline for issuing licenses remains uncertain
A leaked draft law from Austria’s Finance Ministry outlines plans to open the country’s online casino market to multiple operators for the first time. The move would end a long-standing monopoly currently held by Austrian Lotteries’ brand Win2day.
Under the current system, only one license exists for lotteries and online gaming in Austria. That 15-year permit belongs to Win2day, a subsidiary of Casinos Austria, which also holds all 12 land-based casino licenses in the country.
The draft law states that “several providers will be able to offer online gambling in Austria in future” under what it calls a “strictly regulated licensing system.” Lotteries would remain a monopoly, but online casinos would be open to an uncapped number of operators.
Initial licenses would be granted for five years, with the option to extend for another 10 years.
Backdated Taxes Could Block Smaller Operators
While international operators have pushed for access to the Austrian market for years, the cost of entry may be steep. According to Vienna-based gambling lawyer Arthur Stadler, operators must settle outstanding Austrian court rulings and pay taxes dating back to the years they operated in the country.
Stadler told iGB that these “incredibly high sums” could effectively lock smaller operators out of