Austria May Require Online Operators to Honour Player Court Rulings Before Receiving a Licence

^{Pictured: Parliament building, Vienna, Austria / © Shutterstock}

Austria could open its online gambling market to licensed operators and end its current monopoly model, NEXT.io reported, citing a draft gambling reform dated 20 May 2026.

Legal online gambling in the country is currently concentrated largely around win2day, the platform operated by Austrian Lotteries, which is linked to Casinos Austria. Under the draft proposal, operators meeting Austrian regulatory requirements would be allowed to enter the market.

The market could launch under the new rules as early as October 2027.

Initial online licences would be issued for up to five years, with renewals available for up to 10 years. Online gambling tax could be set at 45% of gross gaming revenue (GGR).

One of the key licensing conditions would be compliance with court rulings in claims brought by players. Operators would be required to settle all final decisions issued by Austrian courts in favour of customers. If further rulings are handed down while an application is under review, those would also have to be complied with before a licence is issued.

Applicants would also be required to settle unpaid taxes, disclose data on stakes, winnings and bonuses, and have paid-up share capital of at least €10 million, or about 826 million roubles.

The draft also introduces player deposit limits: up to €250 per week for users under 26, and up to €1,680 per month for players aged 26 and over. A centralised system is planned to monitor the limits, taking into account deposits across all licensed operators.