Austria’s coalition government has published a draft law to end the country’s online gambling monopoly, with a planned market opening in October 2027 and a mandatory cooling-off period that will bar grey market operators from applying for licences immediately.
The proposal, reported by Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung, sets an 18-month look-back period: any operator that provided online gambling services in Austria without a licence in the 18 months before the new framework launches will be barred from applying at opening. From 2030, the exclusion window extends to 24 months. Applicants will also need to settle any outstanding taxes and player compensation rulings from previous years before they can enter.
A familiar mechanism from the Netherlands
The cooling-off design is not new. The Netherlands used a comparable approach before its regulated online gambling market opened in 2021, prompting several major operators to withdraw from Dutch players for a period rather than compromise their licence eligibility. The practical effect in Austria is likely to be similar: operators currently active on the grey market face a choice between continuing to operate and foregoing a licence, or exiting the grey market early to start their exclusion clock.
The Austrian Betting and Gaming Association (OVWG) has pushed back, warning that eliminating multiple incumbent operators from the initial licence round could thin the regulated market and make it less competitive against unlicensed alternatives. Its concern is that operators with no interest in obtaining Austrian licences will simply continue taking Austrian players while legitimate grey market participants sit on the sidelines waiting out their exclusion period.
Stake limits pulled back from earlier proposal
A leaked earlier draft had proposed cutting maximum stakes on online slots from €10 to €2, a move that drew criticism from across the industry, including from Casinos Austria. The current draft moderates that position: the limit falls to €5 rather than €2.
Other player protection provisions in the draft include a weekly deposit cap of €1,680, reduced to €250 per week for players under 26. Maximum winnings remain capped at €10,000, up from the €2,000 figure mooted earlier, and jackpots are retained. Game design rules will mandate break intervals and restrict spin speed.
The land-based casino sector also opens under the draft. Thirteen casino licences will be put to tender, available either as standalone licences or grouped packages. The market stops short of full liberalisation.
What it means for Casinos Austria
The reforms are directly relevant to Casinos Austria and its subsidiary Austrian Lotteries, which currently holds the only online gaming licence in Austria through its Win2Day brand. That licence is up for renewal in 2027, timed almost exactly with the proposed market opening.
Casinos Austria has operated all 12 land-based casino concessions in Austria and held an exclusive 15-year licence for lotteries and online gaming. Its ownership structure involves multiple state entities: the Austrian government holds a majority through holding company ÖBAG, state-owned bank Österreichische Beteiligungs AG holds a significant stake, and Czech gaming group Allwyn (Sazka, part of KKCG) is also a major shareholder.
The liberalisation removes Casinos Austria’s monopoly but does not immediately disadvantage Win2Day in the new market. As a licensed operator with a long track record, it will not face the cooling-off period that grey market competitors must wait out.
Austria joins a broader regional shift
Austria is not alone in reviewing a state gambling monopoly. Hungary’s new government is currently reviewing the Szerencsejáték Zrt monopoly, and other DACH and Central European markets have come under similar pressure as grey market activity grows and cross-border EU competition law arguments become harder for governments to resist.
The Austrian draft still needs to pass through the legislative process before the October 2027 target date becomes firm. The cooling-off details, stake limits, and deposit caps could all shift in that process. What seems unlikely to change is the direction: after nearly 60 years of monopoly operation, Austria’s online gambling market is heading toward multi-operator competition.
Source: Kronen Zeitung
