Online Gambling: Bill Expected to Come This Year

This is overdue, as the concessions for lotteries, online gambling, and six casinos are already set to expire in 2027. The previous government failed with the plan for its own gambling authority, mainly due to one point - the Greens demanded strict player protection.

Player protection is also a central point of negotiation now. The budget spokespersons of SPÖ and ÖVP, Jan Krainer and Andreas Hanger, seem to largely agree: Both expressed to the APA their support for regulation and player protection.

In terms of player protection, the German model with a central database is often referenced. Anyone who self-excludes or exhibits conspicuous gambling behavior is placed on the list and thus excluded from all gambling activities in this country. This means that individuals who have been banned by a gambling provider, such as Casinos Austria, cannot switch to other slot machine operators. However, this would not apply to international providers without a concession.

Online Gambling: Technical and Legal Hurdles

The main sticking point is online gambling: Currently, only the Austrian Lotteries have a concession for lotteries and online gambling. Apart from that, numerous international providers also attract gamblers in this country. Some of these providers, who at least have EU licenses - for example, from Malta or Gibraltar - at least pay taxes and fees. However, there are also numerous providers who not only compete for Austrian customers without concessions but also do not pay taxes.

Whether the number of licenses is limited or open-ended will be part of the political discussion, according to the budget spokespersons. Some details still need to be planned beforehand. IP blocking, i.e., blocking unlicensed online sites, is technically not a problem but can be easily circumvented. More success is hoped for from so-called payment blocking. In this case, the account numbers of unlicensed providers are placed on a blacklist - therefore, no deposits can be made from Austrian accounts. However, not only must the technical possibilities be explored, but the legal blocking of accounts must also be watertight. This requires coordination with the banking association, for example.

In a first step, the budget and finance spokespersons of the parties will review the draft. After the Council of Ministers has dealt with the issue and a political agreement has been reached, Brussels will be informed. After a standstill period of 3 months, the law could be implemented by the end of the first half of 2026.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.