Austria considers ending online casino monopoly under draft gambling reforms

Austria is considering opening its online gambling market to multiple operators under a leaked draft law prepared by the Finance Ministry, marking a significant shift away from the country’s long-standing casino monopoly system.

According to the draft proposal, reported on by iGB, multiple providers would be allowed to offer online casino gambling under a “strictly regulated licensing system” designed to channel players away from the illegal market while maintaining “the highest possible standards of player protection."

Austria currently operates a monopoly model under which only one licence is available for lotteries and online gaming products. That licence is held by Win2day, a subsidiary of Casinos Austria, which also controls the country’s 12 land-based casino licences.

Under the proposed reforms, lotteries would remain a monopoly, while online casino licences would be opened to an uncapped number of operators. The licences would initially run for five years, with the possibility of a 10-year extension.

The draft law imposes strict conditions on prospective licensees, including requirements to settle outstanding Austrian court rulings, pay Austrian taxes retroactively and maintain minimum share capital of €10 million ($11.65 million).

The high financial thresholds could effectively limit participation to larger gambling operators despite the absence of a formal cap on licences.

The proposed reforms also introduce sweeping player protection measures, including weekly deposit caps of €250 for players under 26 and €1,680 for older players unless they can prove sufficient liquidity.

The draft would also cap stakes at €2 per spin or game, reduce maximum winnings to 2,000 euros and ban jackpots entirely.

Players would additionally be required to take a mandatory 15-minute cooling-off break after 90 minutes of continuous play.

“This ensures that online gambling is subject to the same high standards of player protection as land-based slot machine gambling,” the draft law said.

The reforms would also establish continuous monitoring of online gaming activity and introduce a national self-exclusion system operated by the gambling regulator.

The Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), which controls the Finance Ministry, had initially proposed extending the monopoly system in an earlier January draft before withdrawing the idea following opposition from coalition partners.

Win2day’s current licence expires in 2027, although the draft law allows for extensions if the licensing process is delayed by legal challenges or administrative hurdles.

An independent gambling authority may not be established until 2030, meaning the Finance Ministry would oversee licensing in the interim.

The draft proposal still requires negotiations among Austria’s governing parties, including the SPÖ, the liberal NEOS party and the conservative ÖVP, before a parliamentary vote expected ahead of the summer recess in early July.