Austria Moves to End Its iGaming Monopoly as Europe's Licensing Landscape Shifts

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08.06.2026

Austria's gambling bill, now before parliament, would replace Win2Day's online casino monopoly with uncapped licences valid from 1 October 2027.

Austria Moves to End Its iGaming Monopoly as Europe's Licensing Landscape Shifts

Austria's Decades-Long Online Casino Monopoly Is Coming to an End

Update, October 2026: The coalition government agreed the reform on 29 June 2026 and sent it out for public consultation, ORF reported. The government bill (594 d.B.) reached parliament on 5 August 2026, a day after the Finance Ministry notified it to the European Commission, which started a three-month standstill before parliament can pass it. The Nationalrat assigned the bill to its Finance Committee on 14 September 2026, and the committee had not begun its debate by 8 October. The bill keeps uncapped online licences, which would take effect from 1 October 2027.

A draft law from the Austrian Finance Ministry, leaked in late May 2026 and reported by iGaming Business, showed that Austria intends to dismantle its online casino monopoly and open the market to multiple licensed operators for the first time. The draft maps out a framework under which any qualifying operator could, in principle, obtain an Austrian iGaming licence.

At present, the entire legal online casino market in Austria is controlled by a single entity. Win2Day, the digital brand of Austrian Lotteries, holds the sole permit covering online gaming, while Casinos Austria, its parent group, also holds all 12 land-based casino concessions in the country. The Finance Ministry said the monopoly model had become "hard to enforce" in the digital age, particularly in the cross-border online sector, according to iGaming Business.

The current Win2Day licence was due to expire in 2027. The bill extends Austrian Lotteries' existing concession to 31 December 2028, while new online licences could be granted from 1 January 2027.

What the Draft Law Proposes

The draft outlines a competitive licensing system with no ceiling on the number of online casino licences. Any operator meeting the regulatory criteria could apply.

Licences would initially run for up to five years, with renewals of up to ten years. Online operators would remain subject to Austria's 45% gambling tax on gross gaming revenue, the rate in force since 2025. The ministerial draft (125/ME) published for consultation in June 2026 and the government bill also set the number of land-based casino concessions at 13, which may be awarded in packages.

Term	Government bill (594 d.B.)
Online casino licences	No cap on the number
Licence term	Up to 5 years, renewals up to 10 years
First licences	Granted from 1 January 2027, valid from 1 October 2027
Minimum share capital	€10 million
Licence fees	€70,000 per application, €300,000 for a first licence, €600,000 for a renewal
Deposit limit, under 26	€250 per week
Deposit limit, 26 and over	€1,680 per month
Online slots	€5 maximum stake and €10,000 maximum win per game
Gambling tax	45% of gross gaming revenue
Unlicensed operators	Must stop serving Austria by the end of 2026 or wait 18 months for a licence
Land-based casinos	13 concessions
Austrian Lotteries' concession	Extended to 31 December 2028
Supervisory authority	Austrian Tax Office (Finanzamt Österreich) for now

The leaked draft, as reported by iGaming Business, also introduced strict player protection conditions. Players under the age of 26 would face a weekly deposit limit of €250, while older players would be capped at €1,680 a week. Maximum stakes would be €2 per spin, maximum winnings €2,000, and jackpot games would be banned.

The official texts change two of these terms. They set the limit for players aged 26 and over at €1,680 per month, and a different limit can be set from age 23 if extra safeguards such as monitoring of play are in place. Online slots get the land-based limits instead: a maximum stake of €5 and a maximum win of €10,000 per game, at least 2 seconds per game and a 15-minute break after 90 minutes of continuous play. The Finance Ministry says a digital supervision system will apply one deposit limit across all operators.

Lotteries would remain a state monopoly under a single concession, separated from online gaming for the first time, since the two have historically been bundled under the same licence.

The Cost of Entry: Conditions That Could Limit Competition

International operators have pushed for an opening of the Austrian market for years, but the entry conditions are demanding. Gambling lawyer Arthur Stadler told iGaming Business that applicants must hold a minimum share capital of €10 million and must settle any outstanding Austrian court rulings before a licence can be granted.

Operators who have been serving Austrian players without a national licence, a common situation given the monopoly environment, would also be required to pay backdated taxes covering the period they operated in the country. Stadler said these obligations add up to incredibly high sums, which could effectively limit participation to larger, well-capitalised operators despite the absence of a formal licence cap. The Finance Ministry says settling unpaid player claims would bring justice for about 20,000 harmed players in Austria.

The government bill adds a cooling-off period. Unlicensed operators must stop serving Austria by the end of 2026 to stay eligible; otherwise they face an 18-month wait for a licence, rising to 24 months from 2030, the Finance Ministry said.

There is also the question of supervision. The leaked draft pointed to an independent gambling authority by 2030, according to iGaming Business. The government bill names the Austrian Tax Office (Finanzamt Österreich) as the gambling supervisory authority in the meantime. A parliamentary vote had been expected before the summer recess in early July 2026, but the bill only reached parliament on 5 August.

How Is the Netherlands Handling Its First Licence Renewals?

Austria's reform is not the only change to European iGaming licensing in 2026. In the Netherlands, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) granted the first eight follow-up licences on 17 September 2026, to TOTO, Holland Casino Online, Kansino, FairPlay Casino, Bingoal, bet365, GGPoker and Betcity. The licences issued in 2021, when online gambling became legal, expired at the end of September 2026; the new ones run from October 2026 to September 2031. The KSA said it looked closely at violations established over the past five years and gave some operators additional points to address.

The regulator prepared for this round with new licensing policy rules that took effect on 1 January 2026. Every applicant, whether seeking a fresh licence or renewing an existing one, must now submit:

an exit plan explaining how gambling activities would be wound down if the licence ends
a risk analysis under Dutch anti-money laundering legislation
a document explaining how they will keep the regulator informed of material changes to their business or policies

The KSA also moved to a new governance model on 1 January 2026, with a full-time chair, two part-time board members and three directorates. It says its tasks are becoming broader and more complex. In a speech on 16 January 2026, KSA chair Michel Groothuizen said an estimated 90% of Dutch gamblers use only licensed operators, and that the aim for 2026 is to keep it at that level.

Enforcement has continued alongside the renewals. In September 2025 the KSA imposed a penalty order on Unibet of €75,000 per week, up to €450,000, for repeatedly offering prohibited bets between October 2022 and May 2025, such as bets on corner kicks, yellow cards and matches for players under 21. The KSA has also said it can refuse a licence to operators that have not complied with Dutch court rulings.

More restrictions are planned. In June 2026 the Dutch government announced a near-total ban on online gambling advertising, an end to bonuses and a single deposit limit across all providers; the plans still have to be written into a bill.

Lessons From Germany and the Broader European Context

Austria's uncapped licensing model invites comparison with Germany, which opted for a heavily conditioned regime when it opened its regulated online casino market. Under Germany's 2021 State Treaty on Gambling, stakes on virtual slots are capped at €1 per game and a game must last at least five seconds on average. A cross-operator deposit limit of €1,000 a month applies in principle. Austria's bill would allow €5 stakes and 2-second games.

As the Austrian draft shows, an uncapped number of licences does not mean easy entry. High capital requirements and backdated tax and court obligations can work as a de facto filter, concentrating the market among established international operators. New Zealand took the opposite approach on numbers: its online casino regulations, in force since 3 July 2026, allow up to 15 licences sold by auction.

Within the EU, Finland is also replacing a monopoly with licences. Its National Police Board had received about 50 applications by June 2026, each with a €29,000 fee, ahead of a market opening on 1 July 2027.

Industry voices have also flagged the risk that overly restrictive product rules could undermine channelisation. Stadler told iGaming Business the framework could result in a "commercially rather unattractive business model" in which licensed operators cannot compete with the black market. Simon Priglinger-Simader, president of the Austrian betting and gaming association ÖVWG, welcomed the open licensing system but called for a balanced law on product restrictions. In August 2026 the ÖVWG said it doubted the transition period would steer players to Win2Day or land-based venues and that the black market could be the biggest winner, iGaming Business reported.

What Operators and Players Should Watch Next

For operators with an interest in the Austrian market, the next steps are the Finance Committee debate and the vote in parliament, which can only take place after the EU standstill period that began on 4 August 2026. If that timetable holds, the first licences could take effect on 1 October 2027. Political analyst Felix Geyer told iGaming Business he was sceptical that licences could be handed out within 12 months, given how slow political processes in Austria can be.

In the Netherlands, the first eight renewed licences now run until September 2031. Operators whose licences expire later face the same test: they must explain how they fixed past violations, and the KSA can refuse a licence or add conditions if the explanation falls short.

Across Europe, iGaming regulation is moving toward more demanding licensing frameworks with more weight on player protection, anti-money laundering compliance and operator accountability. Bulgaria's draft law of September 2026 would ban almost all gambling advertising, end affiliate licences on 1 January 2027 and raise the online betting fee from 20% to 22% by 2028. Austria's liberalisation and the Dutch renewal round show two stages of the same cycle: opening a market to licensed operators, then using renewals to raise standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. The government bill (594 d.B.) reached parliament on 5 August 2026 and was assigned to the Finance Committee on 14 September 2026, which had not begun its debate by 8 October.

Parliament can only pass the law after the three-month EU standstill period that began on 4 August 2026.

There would be no cap. Any operator that meets the conditions could apply, including €10 million in share capital, paid-up Austrian taxes and settled player court claims.

Licences would last up to 5 years at first and up to 10 years on renewal.

Under the government bill, licences could be granted from 1 January 2027 and would take effect from 1 October 2027. Austrian Lotteries' current concession, which covers Win2Day, would be extended to 31 December 2028.

Players under 26 would be limited to depositing €250 a week, and players aged 26 and over to €1,680 a month.

From age 23, a different limit can be set if the operator adds safeguards such as monitoring of play.

Yes, for eight operators. On 17 September 2026 the KSA granted follow-up licences to TOTO, Holland Casino Online, Kansino, FairPlay Casino, Bingoal, bet365, GGPoker and Betcity, valid from October 2026 to September 2031.

Author

Paolo Pellegrini|iGaming News Editor

Paolo Pellegrini is Casino Adventurer's news editor, based in Rome, where he was born and raised. He covers the stories shaping the online gambling industry, from new regulations and tax changes to market openings and major deals, and always explains what they mean for players. He's naturally curious and starts every morning with the news and a strong espresso. Outside work, he's a lifelong AS Roma fan and loves cooking for friends on Sundays.