Online casino law in Austria

Austria runs one of the tightest gambling systems in the EU. Online casino games are part of a federal monopoly, and only one company holds the right to offer them. Many foreign sites take Austrian players anyway, and a reform bill now on the table would replace the monopoly with licences from late 2027. This guide sets out both the rules in force and the plan, from the statute and the Finance Ministry's own pages.

This is a summary of public sources, not legal advice.

The law today: the Glücksspielgesetz

The governing law is the Glücksspielgesetz (GSpG, BGBl. Nr. 620/1989). It reserves the right to run games of chance to the federal state, which grants that right through concessions. The ones that matter for online play:

Source: the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) list of concession holders. The BMF grants the federal concessions and supervises them; there is no separate gambling regulator yet.

What that means for foreign sites

A casino licensed in Malta, Curacao, Anjouan or Kahnawake holds no Austrian concession. Under the GSpG, games offered in Austria without one are prohibited games of chance, and section 52 makes advertising them in Austria an administrative offence. We describe every site on our Austrian casino list by the licence it actually holds and never as holding Austrian permission. Our casino licences guide explains what each foreign regulator checks.

The levy

Section 57 GSpG sets the gambling levy. For electronic lotteries played from Austria it is charged on annual gross gaming revenue, meaning stakes minus winnings paid out. The levy is part of the game side of the money, not a tax taken from your winnings. Our guide to casino winnings tax in Austria covers the player side.

Players and lost stakes

Austrian courts have heard claims by players seeking repayment of losses at sites without a concession, on the basis that the contracts are void. The Court of Justice of the EU ruled in April 2026 (case C-440/23, on a German player and Malta-licensed operators) that a member state may ban online casino games while allowing other gambling, and that a licence from another member state does not override that ban. Whether a particular claim succeeds depends on its facts. If you are considering one, take advice from a lawyer, not from a casino review site.

The reform: what the bill proposes

On 4 August 2026 the BMF announced it had notified a reform of the GSpG to the European Commission. That started a three-month standstill period during which the law cannot be adopted. The government bill went to parliament as 594 der Beilagen. When we last checked in early November 2026, it had not been adopted, and the final text may still change.

According to the ministry, the bill would:

• Open online licensing. An open procedure for online gambling licences replaces the single online concession.
• Set a clean-break condition. Operators that served Austria without a concession can apply only if they stop by 1 January 2027, have settled outstanding tax, and have paid player claims. The BMF links that last point to about 20,000 affected players. Operators that carry on face a bar of 18 months, rising to 24 months from 2030.
• Block unlicensed operators. Payment blocking, a blacklist and network blocks to protect the licensed market.
• Protect players. A central exclusion register across casinos, slot halls and online gambling; deposit limits for online play and slot machines, lower for people aged 18 to 26; slower play and lower stakes on slots; and a compulsory break after 90 minutes of play.
• Keep casino concessions. Thirteen land-based casino concessions, which can be awarded in packages.

Timeline

Expect changes to the casinos you can reach from Austria during 2027. If the cut-off date passes into law, operators planning to apply for a licence have a reason to stop serving Austria first. A site leaving the market should let you withdraw your balance; withdraw early rather than late, and keep records of your deposits and withdrawals.

What this means for you

• Know who protects you. With a foreign site, your complaints route is the operator's home regulator, so the quality of that regulator matters.
• Read the bonus terms. A large welcome bonus with heavy wagering is worth less than a smaller one with light terms. Check the max bet and expiry, then use our wagering calculator. Cashback offers and free spins work differently; each page explains how.
• Pay with a method you control. Our EPS casino guide covers the Austrian bank-transfer standard, and the Paysafecard page the prepaid option.
• Expect checks. KYC before a withdrawal is standard at any licensed operator.

We will not explain how to get around blocks of any kind, now or after the reform.

Getting help

The BMF keeps a directory of help services in every federal state, and the gambling addiction hotline of the Medical University of Vienna is free on 0800 20 5242. Spielsuchthilfe in Vienna offers free, confidential counselling to people from all of Austria. More options are on our responsible gambling page.