Online Casinos in Austria

Online casino gambling in Austria is a state-licensed monopoly, held by Österreichische Lotterien through win2day. A reform that would open the online market to private licences was sent to the European Commission in August 2026 and cannot be adopted before the standstill period ends. Sports betting is regulated by the provinces. Players must be 18 or over.

Last verified: 2026-10-01

Austria reserves gambling to the federal state, which exercises the monopoly through a small number of concessions under the Federal Gambling Act (Glücksspielgesetz). The Finance Ministry is the supervisor. The online casino, slots and sports betting platform win2day is operated by Österreichische Lotterien, which holds the lottery and online gambling concession, while Casinos Austria runs the 12 land-based casinos.

Private operators licensed in other countries have nevertheless served Austrian players, and secondary analyses suggest offshore brands account for roughly half of online demand. Court cases over recovering player losses from such operators have been prominent. Offering online casino games to Austrian residents without a concession is not authorised under current law.

Sports betting is different: bookmaking is regulated at provincial (Länder) level, where private bookmakers hold provincial authorisations. The exact regime should be checked for each province.

In June 2026 Austria's coalition government agreed a comprehensive reform of the gambling law. The draft would replace the exclusive online concession with an open licensing system, ending win2day's online monopoly. On 4 August 2026 the Finance Ministry submitted the draft to the European Commission, starting a three-month standstill period and making November 2026 the earliest possible adoption date.

• Applicants for an online licence would have to stop existing unlicensed online services from 1 January 2027 while licences are awarded.
• Enforcement tools in the draft include payment blocking, blacklists and network blocking, plus a central cross-operator deposit limit.
• Reports describe tighter product rules, such as a lower stake cap on online slots, but figures differ across sources (for example €2 and €5 have both been reported) and need verification.
• First new licences are not expected for several years according to market analysts.

The minimum age for gambling is 18, with some provincial rules differing for casinos. Austrian players can use the self-exclusion and limit tools offered by licensed operators and counselling services.

Winnings from gambling are generally not taxed as income for players in Austria, while operators pay gambling duty. Details of the future licence-fee and tax structure have not been fixed because the reform is pending. Players should check with the Finance Ministry or a tax adviser for their situation.

Online slots and casino games, football betting and lotteries are the main products. Cards, bank transfers (EPS) and e-wallets are typical payment methods.

Advertising by licensed concession holders is regulated, and the reform proposes further player-protection and enforcement measures. Because the legal status of non-concession online casino services is contested, promoting such services to Austrian readers is risky.

blucca.com treats Austria as an informational page. We do not promote or compare online casino operators for Austrian visitors while the monopoly stands, and we will revisit the page once the reform is adopted and licences exist. Content is editorial and makes no promise of winnings.

Spielsuchthilfe services and local counselling centres (Spielsuchtberatung) provide help, and your GP can refer you to treatment. Gambling is for adults aged 18 and over.

Affiliate disclosure: blucca.com may earn a commission if you register with a licensed operator through some links. This never changes our licensing checks. 18+ or the legal age in your location. Gambling carries risk and is not a way to make money. If gambling is a problem, seek help.