The Austrian gambling market operates under a state-controlled monopoly model for most games of chance, although this framework has been subject to legal challenges, particularly in relation to EU law. The state grants a limited number of concessions, with the land-based casino sector dominated by Casinos Austria AG, while the national lottery licence, covering online casino games classified as “electronic lotteries”, is held by Österreichische Lotterien, which operates the Win2Day platform.
Sports betting is regulated separately and is not considered a game of chance. It is governed by provincial legislation across Austria’s nine federal states, requiring operators to obtain regional betting licences to offer land-based or online betting services.
However, the regulatory framework is expected to change. Austria is considering potential reforms to its online gambling framework, including discussions around issuing additional licences, although no final regulatory model has been implemented to date.