Online casinos in Austria

Austria is a country with a deep-rooted gambling tradition and one of the most stable regulatory systems in Europe. Here casinos exist legally, and online gambling is regulated by the state, ensuring a high level of trust and social responsibility.

Legislative framework

Gambling in Austria is regulated by the Gambling Law (Glücksspielgesetz, GSpG), which was adopted back in 1989 and has since been repeatedly updated, including in 2010 and 2021, taking into account the online sector.

Main provisions of GSpG:

gambling is allowed only with a state license;
the casino and online gambling monopoly belongs to Casinos Austria AG;
online operators are required to operate under an Austrian license;
activity of unlicensed foreign sites is prohibited;
part of the proceeds from gambling goes to charitable and cultural foundations.

The industry is controlled by the Bundesministerium für Finanzen (BMF) -

Federal Ministry of Finance, which regulates the issuance of licenses, taxation and control of the honesty of operators.

State monopoly

Austria adheres to the model of state control.

The main operator of casino and online gambling is:

Casinos Austria AG is a company founded in 1967, partially owned by the state and operating under a BMF license.

Casinos Austria operates:

12 land-based casinos nationwide;
online platform win2day. at, which is the only legal online casino in Austria.

All other sites are considered unlicensed, even if licensed by Malta or Curaçao.

Licensing

To obtain a license in Austria, the operator must:

be registered in a country or EU;
have a capital of at least €22 million (for casinos);
Pass software and RNG audits
guarantee data protection measures and responsible play;
implement an anti-money laundering (AML) system.

The license term is 15 years, with mandatory annual BMF inspections.

The country also issues separate licenses for lotteries and sports betting, but they are regulated by other laws and in some cases - at the regional level.

Taxation

The Austrian gambling tax system is one of the toughest but most stable in Europe:

30% Gross Revenue Tax (GGR) for casinos and online gambling;
16% tax on rates;
5% tax on poker games outside casinos;
corporate income tax - 25%.

Part of the taxes goes to social and cultural funds, financing sports events and addiction prevention programs.

Online gambling

Since 2011, online gambling in Austria has been completely legalized, but operates under a monopoly.

Win2day. at, owned by Casinos Austria and Austrian Lotteries, is the country's only officially licensed online casino.

The following are available on the platform:

video slots and board games;
online roulette and blackjack;
poker and bingo;
sports betting and virtual gaming;
lotteries (including EuroMillions).

Win2day is certified by the international organizations eCOGRA and GLI, which guarantees transparency and honesty.

Foreign offshore sites such as Stake, 1xBet, Bet365 or LeoVegas are formally banned, but remain available to users via VPN, creating a "gray market."

Land-based casinos

Austria is one of the few European countries where all casinos are owned by the same company.

Casinos Austria operates a network of 12 establishments including:

Casino Wien (Vienna) - the flagship of the network and one of the most prestigious casinos in Europe;
Casino Salzburg - located in Klessheim Castle;
Casino Innsbruck, Casino Graz, Casino Linz, Casino Baden, Casino Bregenz, Casino Velden, Casino Seefeld, Casino Zell am See и другие.

Casinos offer a full range of games - from roulette and blackjack to poker and VIP lounges.

Popular games and player preferences

Austrians actively participate in gambling, giving preference to legal and proven operators.

Payment methods

The following payment methods are available on legal platforms:

Visa, MasterCard, Maestro bank cards;
Skrill, Neteller, PayPal, Paysafecard;
Apple Pay, Google Pay;
SOFORT/Klarna, EPS, Giropay - popular Austrian payment solutions;
SEPA translations.

Cryptocurrencies are not accepted in licensed casinos, but are actively used in offshore ones.

Responsible play

Austria pays great attention to controlling gambling addiction and protecting users.

Main measures:

minimum age - 18 years;
limits on deposits and losses (daily and monthly limits);
self-exclusion (Selbstsperre) for a period of 6 months to indefinite;
Warnings about the times and amounts of bets
support organizations Plattform Spielerschutz, Psychosoziale Zentren, Institut Suchtprävention Linz.

Casinos Austria and win2day actively participate in the international programs Responsible Gambling and the European Casino Association (ECA).

Economic importance

Gämbling is an important part of the Austrian economy.

According to the BMF, the industry brought in 2023:

about €1.8 billion in revenue,
of which €600 million in tax revenues,
more than 3,000 jobs in casino, IT and maintenance.

Part of the funds is directed to the development of sports, culture and charity through the Austrian Lotteries Fund.

Challenges and challenges

The main difficulties of the Austrian market:

the monopoly Casinos Austria, which restricts competition;
high taxes for operators;
a growing offshore sector offering bonuses and crypto payments;
advertising restrictions and blurred betting rules.

The EU has already raised the issue of violation of the principle of free competition several times, and perhaps in the future Austria will be forced to liberalize online gambling.

Development prospects

Austria is preparing to modernize its legislation.

Planned:

partial liberalization of the online casino market (the introduction of several licenses instead of one);
increased control over offshore sites;
implementation of AI-systems for player monitoring and digital identification;
possible integration of crypto payments overseen by BMF;
development of the international brand Casinos Austria Online to enter the EU market.

Thanks to its historical experience, financial stability and social responsibility, Austria maintains a reputation as one of Europe's most reliable and respected gambling jurisdictions, where gambling combines safety, transparency and tradition.