According to Austria’s Ministry of Finance, a major illegal lottery operation in Vienna, selling tickets worldwide, both online and in person, and promising high-end prizes...
Austrian government prepares draft for new casino tender
Austria has confirmed that the Finance Ministry is preparing a draft law for a new casino tender process in 2027, as operators continue to call for an end to the market’s gambling monopoly.
The draft law proposes uniform player protection standards for both online and land-based casinos, age-dependent loss limits, and the creation of a new gambling authority. Crackdowns on unlicensed operators are also planned, including payment and domain blocks, as well as financial penalties.
At the moment, just one license is available in Austria for lotteries and online gaming products. The 15-year permit is currently held by Austrian Lotteries’ brand Win2day, which is a subsidiary of Casinos Austria and also holds all 12 land-based casino licenses. Additionally, ÖBAG, Austria’s state holding company, owns a 33% share in Casinos Austria.
In December 2025, a draft gambling reform proposal was leaked, which showed the government’s plans to continue the monopoly and add aggressive enforcement against illegal operators. Following criticism, the ministry claimed that the plans would be changed.
It is still unclear what exactly the gambling reforms will bring; however, the president of the Austrian trade body (OVWG), Simon Priglinger-Simader, noted that if the initial plans develop, the government could lose the tax revenue it was seeking to increase.
Priglinger-Simader said:
“Payment blocking should only come after licensing. Otherwise, you don’t get what you need from a budget perspective.”
In the best-case scenario, if an unrestricted market is opened, the OVWG expects around 30 licenses to be granted, with operators being regulated by a new gambling authority that is set to be established by 2029.
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) is calling for gambling reforms in Austria to combat the monopoly system.According to the EGBA, the casino monopoly...
