Online casino law in Austria, explained

Austria is one of the clearest examples in Europe of a state-run online casino model. The law is federal, the concessions are few, and the authority behind them is the Finance Ministry. A reform is on the way that would open online licensing to more companies. This guide sets out the current system and the planned change, as of November 2026.

This is general information, not legal advice. The law is published in the federal legal information system (RIS), and the Federal Ministry of Finance publishes the concession list and reform news.

The law: the Glücksspielgesetz

Austrian gambling is governed by the Glücksspielgesetz (GSpG), the federal Gambling Act. It reserves games of chance to the federal government, which grants concessions to run them. Online casino games fall under “electronic lotteries”, which are part of the federal lottery concession.

The Ministry of Finance grants the concessions and supervises their holders. As of November 2026 there is no separate gambling regulator.

Who holds the concessions

The Ministry’s concession list shows three layers:

Area	Holder	Term
Lotteries, including electronic lotteries (online games)	Österreichische Lotterien GmbH, via win2day	Until 30 September 2027
Land-based casinos (12 venues)	Casinos Austria AG	2027 or 2030, depending on the concession
Slot machine halls and single machines	Licensed by the federal states, not the federal government	Varies by state and operator

So for online casino there is one concession holder. Every other online casino an Austrian can reach, licensed in Malta, Curaçao, Anjouan or elsewhere, holds no Austrian concession.

Advertising and the GSpG

The GSpG also covers promotion. Under section 52, promoting prohibited gambling inside the country, or enabling someone else’s promotion, is an administrative offence unless the Finance Minister has given approval. The fine runs up to 22,000 euros per offence. So the GSpG reaches promotion as well as the games themselves.

The planned reform

The government wants to replace the online monopoly with an open concession procedure. On 4 August 2026, the Ministry announced that it had notified the draft to the European Commission, which starts a three-month standstill before parliament can vote. According to the Ministry’s press release, the draft includes:

• An open online concession procedure with strict entry conditions.
• A cut-off date. Operators without a concession must stop serving Austria from 1 January 2027 to remain eligible. Those who continue face an 18-month wait before a concession can be granted, rising to 24 months from 2030.
• Paying past debts. Applicants must settle unpaid gambling taxes that are not time-barred and unpaid player claims.
• Enforcement tools. Payment blocking, a blacklist and network blocking against unlicensed operators.
• Player protection. A central exclusion register across all operators and game types, deposit limits for online play and slot machines, and lower limits for players aged 18 to 26.

As of November 2026 the bill has not been passed, and its final text and start dates can still change. The current win2day concession runs until 30 September 2027, so the earliest point for a new online market is after that date.

Loss recovery: the court side

Austrian courts have seen a wave of claims by players against operators without an Austrian concession, seeking their losses back. The argument usually made is that a gambling contract offered against the GSpG is void.

On 16 April 2026, in case C-440/23, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that EU law does not stop a member state from banning online casino games while allowing other forms of gambling, that a licence from another member state is not a pass across the EU, and that players may reclaim stakes lost under such a ban. The case came from Germany, but its reasoning is directly relevant to Austria’s model.

The reform links to this too: paying player judgments is one of the conditions for a concession. If you think you have a claim, talk to a lawyer about your own facts.

What this means for you as a player

1. Know what the licence is. A Malta or Curaçao licence is a licence from that country. It is not an Austrian concession.
2. Expect changes in 2027. If the reform passes, foreign brands that want a concession have to stop serving Austria from 1 January 2027. Some may leave.
3. Check protections. Austrian player protection under the GSpG applies to the concession holder. A foreign site follows its own regulator.
4. Know where help is. Spielsuchthilfe offers free, confidential counselling for all of Austria, and the Finance Ministry publishes a list of support services for each federal state.

How winnings are taxed is a separate question, covered in our guide to tax on casino winnings in Austria. To compare current offers with their terms on the card, see the Austrian bonus list or start from the Austria home page.