The European Commission’s three-month standstill on the Austria gambling reform expires on 5 November 2026. Until then, lawmakers cannot adopt the bill, which replaces the online monopoly with open concessions from 1 January 2027 and authorises licensed operations from 1 October 2027.
The Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) notified the draft to Brussels under the Technical Regulation Information System (TRIS) in early August, as TGE reported at the time. The Commission’s notification record lists 5 November as the end of the standstill.
What the 5 November date means
TRIS lets the Commission and other EU member states review draft technical rules, product standards and rules on information society services before a country adopts them. The Commission treats the procedure as a safeguard for the single market, designed to stop national rules from creating barriers to the free movement of goods and services.
During the standstill, the Commission and member states can file comments or detailed opinions. Under Directive (EU) 2015/1535, a detailed opinion on rules covering online services extends the standstill by one month, which would push adoption into December.
The standstill does not freeze the parliamentary process. In its 4 August statement on the notification, the BMF said proceedings in parliament can continue during the three months, while the law itself cannot be adopted until the period has ended.
Where the Austria gambling reform stands
The government bill, filed as Regierungsvorlage 594 d.B., reached the Nationalrat in August after a consultation that drew 109 written statements, according to the Austrian Parliament’s correspondence of 12 August.
The text sets up a regulated online concession system open to several providers. Austrian Lotteries’ win2day brand holds the only online gaming licence, which expires in 2027. On the land-based side, the BMF plans 13 casino concessions that may be awarded in packages; Casinos Austria currently runs all 12 existing concessions.
The bill keeps the eligibility conditions first seen in the June consultation draft. Operators serving Austrian players without a licence must stop by 31 December 2026 to qualify. Those that continue face an 18-month bar on concessions, rising to 24 months from 2030. Applicants must also settle outstanding tax debts and comply with all final court judgments from player claims; the BMF puts the number of affected players at about 20,000.
Enforcement from 1 January 2027
Several tools are scheduled to start on 1 January 2027, according to the Parliament’s summary: a central exclusion register across casinos, slot machines and online gambling, network blocking and payment blocking. The Anti-Fraud Office (Amt für Betrugsbekämpfung) would gain powers to run covert test games, and a new Office for Gambling and Player Protection would monitor the market.
Deposit limits will apply across operators, with lower thresholds for players aged 18 to 26; for online gambling, a central digital supervisory system enforces the limit. Slot machines face a €5 maximum stake per game, a two-second minimum game speed and a 15-minute break after 90 minutes of play. Operators must submit addiction-potential analyses of their games, and advertising rules will be tightened. Some of the stricter machine rules apply to existing state-licensed machines only from 1 January 2031.
Next steps
The standstill ends on 5 November unless a detailed opinion extends it. A Finance Committee hearing and a Nationalrat vote can follow. The cut-off for unlicensed operators is 31 December 2026, the register and blocking powers start on 1 January 2027, the first online concessions can be granted from the same date, and licensed online operations begin on 1 October 2027.
FAQ for operators and suppliers
Answers are based on the bill as summarised by the BMF and the Parliament; the final text may change.
B2C: Can an operator currently serving Austria still apply?
Yes, if it stops offering gambling to Austrian players by 31 December 2026, has settled its tax debts and has met final court judgments from player claims. An operator that keeps serving the market after that date is barred from a concession for 18 months.
B2C: When can licensed operators go live?
Online concessions can be granted from 1 January 2027 and are valid from 1 October 2027, so a licensed launch is possible from October 2027 at the earliest. The BMF describes an open concession procedure and gives no cap on the number of online concessions.
B2C: What compliance systems are needed?
Operators must connect to the central exclusion register and the cross-operator deposit limit, apply lower limits to players aged 18 to 26, submit addiction-potential analyses and follow tighter advertising rules.
B2B: What changes for game suppliers?
Machine content must meet a €5 maximum stake and two-second game speed, and online virtual slots will face limits. Studios supplying Austrian operators will need game versions that meet these limits before the October 2027 launch.
B2B: How are payment and network providers affected?
Payment blocking covers payments to and from illegal operators, and network blocking orders target unlicensed sites. Both start on 1 January 2027, so payment processors, banks and internet providers can receive orders from that date.
B2B: Does the TRIS deadline delay the 2027 dates?
The dates in the bill stay the same unless parliament amends them. A detailed opinion from the Commission or a member state would move the earliest adoption date by one month, leaving less time before the 1 January 2027 start of the register and blocking powers.
Earlier coverage: the leaked draft law that set out the end of the monopoly.
Source: Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance
