Leaked Draft Indicates Austria’s Online Casino Reform to End Monopoly

(AsiaGameHub) –   A leaked document from the Austrian Finance Ministry reveals intentions to open the online casino market to multiple licensed operators following months of postponement. The proposal suggests maintaining the lottery monopoly while transitioning online casino games to a broader licensing framework.

Key Highlights

• The plan originates from a leaked draft within the Austrian Finance Ministry.
• Austria currently operates under a single license that encompasses lotteries and online gaming.
• The draft includes provisions for deposit caps, €2 stake limits, reduced prize ceilings, and compulsory breaks.

Leaked Draft Highlights Online Casino Overhaul

Austria has yet to publish the final reform package, but the leaked draft signals a major departure from the current single-license model. Currently, the Win2day brand, owned by Austrian Lotteries, holds the 15-year permit for lotteries and online gaming. Austrian Lotteries is a subsidiary of Casinos Austria, which also holds all 12 land-based casino licences.

Under the proposed leak, “multiple providers will be permitted to offer online gambling in Austria in the future” through a “strictly regulated licensing system”.

The ministry states that such a system would help divert players from illegal gambling sites and provide “the highest possible standards of player protection”.

The distinction in the draft is explicit. Lotteries would remain under a monopoly, whereas online casino licences would be open to an unlimited number of operators. These licences would initially last for five years, with a potential 10-year extension.

However, expanded licensing would come with strict limitations. Players under 26 would be restricted to a weekly deposit cap of €250 per operator. Older players would have a weekly cap of €1,680, though this limit could increase if they show “sufficient liquidity”.

Game rules would also be tightened. The maximum stake would drop to €2 per spin or game, a reduction from the current €5 or €10 levels. Maximum winnings would fall to €2,000 from the existing limits of €5,000 or €10,000. Jackpots would be outlawed completely.

The leaked draft also extends land-based player protection regulations to the online market, including speed-of-play mechanisms. The document reads: “This ensures that online gambling is subject to the same high standards of player protection as land-based slot machine gambling.”

Mandatory cooling-off periods would also apply to online players. After 90 minutes of uninterrupted play, customers would be required to take a 15-minute break.

Oversight would become more centralized as well. The draft mandates continuous monitoring of online gambling and a national self-exclusion program managed by the regulator.