🇦🇹Austria gambling regulation

Legal framework at a glance

Austria’s Gambling Act (Glücksspielgesetz, GSpG) of 1989 created a federal monopoly over games of chance. The Federal Ministry of Finance grants a limited number of concessions: Casinos Austria runs the land-based casinos, and Österreichische Lotterien holds the lottery concession, which also covers “electronic lotteries”, the legal basis for the online platform win2day. Slot machines outside casinos are regulated by the provinces under federal limits. Sports betting is treated as a game of skill and falls under provincial betting laws.

Product	Online status	Notes
Casino games	Monopoly	Only win2day (Österreichische Lotterien)
Poker	Monopoly	Online poker via win2day
Sports betting	Varies	Licensed by each of the nine provinces
Lottery	Monopoly	Österreichische Lotterien

The regulator

The Federal Ministry of Finance currently acts as licensing and supervisory authority for gambling under federal law, while provincial governments license sports betting and some slot machines. The 2026 reform would replace the ministry with an independent gambling authority and introduce a digital supervisory platform.

Licensing

Under the current regime there is no licensing route for private online casinos. The lottery and online concession held by Österreichische Lotterien runs until 30 September 2027. Bookmakers need provincial licences, which differ in requirements and cost.

Online products — what is and isn’t legal

Only win2day may legally offer online casino and poker. Foreign operators that target Austrian players without a licence act illegally, and Austrian courts have repeatedly ruled that players may reclaim their losses from them. These claims are at the centre of a wider European dispute, including Malta’s Article 56A, discussed in EU gambling law and the single market.

Taxation

Electronic lotteries, including win2day’s online casino, are taxed at 40% of gross gaming revenue. Sports bets are subject to a federal stake fee, and provinces may levy their own charges. See gambling taxation compared.

Advertising and marketing rules

Concession holders must advertise responsibly under the GSpG. Advertising by sports betting operators is governed by provincial law, and advertising for illegal gambling can be fined. The reform draft is expected to tighten advertising rules alongside the new licensing system; check the final text. See gambling advertising rules.

Player-protection requirements

Concession holders must verify identity, run player-protection programmes and cooperate with treatment services. The reform draft goes further, with:

• a national self-exclusion register across operators and products;
• a centralised, age-based deposit limit for all licensed online operators, lower for players aged 18 to 26;
• lower slot-machine stakes, slower game speed and a mandatory break after long continuous play.

Self-exclusion

Today exclusion is per operator. See our Austria self-exclusion manual for how to cover every route.

Enforcement against unlicensed operators

The ministry can fine illegal operators and the reform adds payment blocking, blacklisting and network blocking. Unlicensed operators serving Austrian players must stop by 1 January 2027 to be eligible for a licence; those that do not face an 18-month licensing bar, rising to 24 months from 2030. Applicants must also settle tax debts and outstanding player claims. See spotting unlicensed and black-market operators.

What this means for players

Until the reform takes effect, the only legal online casino in Austria is win2day. Many foreign sites accept Austrian players without a licence, and although Austrian courts have often allowed players to reclaim losses from such operators, that is a slow, uncertain legal process rather than a safety net. Anyone considering such a claim should take independent legal advice and be wary of claim-management firms charging high fees.

Practical points:

• Check the operator: for online casino today, only win2day is legal. For sports betting, check that the bookmaker holds a licence from the relevant province.
• Exclusion: bans are per operator. Exclude from win2day, Casinos Austria and every betting or arcade operator you use.
• Limits: set deposit limits on any account you keep; see setting deposit, loss and time limits.
• Coming changes: if the reform is adopted, a national exclusion register and central deposit limits should make protection more consistent across operators.
• Debt: Austria’s debt counselling services (Schuldnerberatung) can help if gambling has caused money problems; see managing money after gambling harm.

Blocking software and a bank gambling block are the best protection against unlicensed sites while the market is in transition.

Recent developments and what to watch

The three-party coalition agreed a reform package in 2026. A consultation draft was published on 30 June 2026, and in August 2026 the ministry notified the draft to the European Commission under the TRIS procedure, starting a three-month standstill. Reports on the draft describe unlimited online casino licences, high capital requirements and stake and win limits for online games; final figures may differ from earlier leaked versions. The new market is unlikely to open before the current concession ends in September 2027, with full implementation possibly lasting until 2030. Treat all details as provisional until the law is adopted.

For free help, see our Austria help directory. This page is general information, not legal advice.