Austria enacts new gambling law to boost competition and protect players
Austria's parliament approved a comprehensive gambling reform that opens the online market to licensed operators and introduces stronger consumer safeguards. Finance spokesperson Andreas Ottenschläger said the changes will create genuine competition, curb illegal providers and secure additional tax revenue. The law establishes a central ban register covering casino, slot‑machine and online gambling, and mandates IP and payment‑blocking of unlicensed operators. New player‑protection measures include lower deposit limits for younger users, self‑exclusion tools, cooling‑off periods and a unified ban system. The draft legislation was sent to the European Commission for review, after which a three‑month stand‑still period must elapse before it can be adopted. An open concession process will allow legitimate online operators to obtain licences, while illegal providers must settle civil claims and pay outstanding dues before they can re‑apply.
Entities: Andreas Ottenschläger · Austrian Finance Ministry · Austrian Ministry of Finance · Austrian government · Christoph Pramhofer · European Commission · Republic of Austria · online casino operators · online gambling market
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Austrian online casino platforms in 2026 offer bonuses, mobile apps, crypto payments and over 10,000 games. (c99c2e83-996a-4be7-b32d-01a779666fc7, 1b652699-b8b4-4403-bd5b-cff0151a5591, efc1007f-866d-4072-9293-8bbb53d0498d, 4429d4)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Shakebet provides fast, secure payout methods for Austrian players. (feae2b69-6bdd-4e8e-b06e-3f2714cd8c84)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The draft law was sent to the European Commission for review, with a three‑month stand‑still before adoption. (4beaca28-e621-42cb-930a-801df56964ac)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Austria's gambling reform opens the online market to licensed operators. (21a158ca-d593-4b99-a7af-01f655345fc7, 4beaca28-e621-42cb-930a-801df56964ac)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The reform introduces deposit limits, self‑limits, cooling‑off periods and a central ban register for player protection. (21a158ca-d593-4b99-a7af-01f655345fc7, 4beaca28-e621-42cb-930a-801df56964ac)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Illegal operators will be blocked via IP and payment‑blocking measures. (4beaca28-e621-42cb-930a-801df56964ac)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The reform creates a central ban register covering casino, slot‑machine and online gambling. (4beaca28-e621-42cb-930a-801df56964ac)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The reform aims to increase tax revenue while protecting consumers. (21a158ca-d593-4b99-a7af-01f655345fc7, 4beaca28-e621-42cb-930a-801df56964ac)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Austrian finance ministry announced the submission of the gambling‑law draft to the EU. (4beaca28-e621-42cb-930a-801df56964ac)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The law sets lower deposit limits specifically for younger players. (4beaca28-e621-42cb-930a-801df56964ac)