On 29 June 2026, Austria's coalition parties ÖVP, SPÖ, and NEOS published a ministerial draft Gambling Reform Act (Glücksspielreformgesetz) and opened it for public consultation, with the comment period closing 15 July 2026. The coalition describes the reform as the most substantial change to Austrian gambling law in 26 years. Parliament is expected to vote on the draft in autumn 2026, after which European Commission notification under Directive (EU) 2015/1535 is required before the law can enter into force.
The draft ends the statutory online gambling monopoly held by Österreichische Lotterien GmbH through the win2day.at platform under the current Glücksspielgesetz, BGBl. Nr. 620/1989, and replaces it with an open concession procedure. Applicants for an online gambling concession must be constituted as a capital company with a supervisory board, hold minimum share capital of €10 million, and maintain functioning internal compliance systems for anti-money laundering obligations and responsible gambling requirements. An independent Glücksspielaufsicht (gambling supervisory authority) is to be established, absorbing the current oversight function of the Federal Finance Ministry.
Operators currently serving Austrian players without a national concession face a direct choice: apply for a concession once the procedure opens and cease unlicensed operations by 1 January 2027, or withdraw from the Austrian market. Providers that continue unlicensed operations after 1 January 2027 are subject to payment blocking enforced on all Austrian banks and payment service providers through publication of their IBANs by the Finance Ministry, domain blocking, and materially increased financial penalties. The existing licence holder, Österreichische Lotterien GmbH, must adapt its operations to the new concession structure and to requirements set by the independent supervisory authority.
The draft has attracted critical commentary regarding the practical feasibility of the 1 January 2027 cooling-off mechanism and the timeline for establishing the independent supervisory authority before that date. EU prior notification under Directive (EU) 2015/1535 imposes a minimum standstill period before the law can enter into force, adding time to the implementation path beyond the anticipated autumn 2026 parliamentary vote. Age-dependent loss limits and the technical architecture of the central player blocking registry remain subject to further specification.
Licentium advises iGaming operators on Austrian and EU gambling regulatory requirements, including preparation for the upcoming concession process. Work we undertake includes Austrian gambling licence application support, EU gambling regulatory mapping, responsible gambling programme review, and anti-money laundering compliance for online gaming operators.