Chief regulator: Bundesministerium für Finanzen

In Austria, the Bundesministerium für Finanzen (BMF), the Federal Ministry of Finance, serves as the central regulator of gambling. It not only manages the budget and taxes, but is also responsible for the entire vertical of gambling - from lotteries and casinos to the online segment and the fight against illegal operators. Under its jurisdiction is the implementation of the federal law Glücksspielgesetz (GSpG), licensing, control and supervision over the implementation of the norms of responsible play.

1. BMF structure and authority

The Ministry of Finance acts as the supreme governing body of the gambling sphere. It determines the regulatory strategy, forms by-laws, approves compliance standards and issues concessions for casino and lottery operators.

• holding contests and issuing concessions for running casinos and lotteries;
• monitoring compliance with license terms and financial statements;
• developing rules to protect players and combat addiction;
• supervision of operators' advertising policy;
• coordination of work with regional bodies and international regulators.

The BMF relies on specialized departments - Abteilung Glücksspiel (Gambling Division) and Finanzpolizei (Financial Police) - which monitor and control in practice.

2. Supervision and control of licensed operators

The regulator monitors all legal, financial and technical aspects of the operators' activities.

• regular reports on revenue and payments, data on RTP and RNG audit, reports on the implementation of Responsible Gaming (limits, self-exclusions), documents on AML/KYC and the fight against terrorist financing.

Checks are carried out planned and suddenly. In case of violations, fines, withdrawal of the concession and temporary suspension of activities are possible.

3. Fighting illegal online operators

BMF actively collaborates with Finanzpolizei and banks to counter unlicensed ones. com sites.

• informing players about the risks of playing on illegal sites, requiring banks to block transfers in favor of unlicensed operators, administrative measures and fines of up to several hundred thousand euros, interaction with courts regarding the recognition of contracts with illegal sites as invalid.

This model is supported by decisions of national courts and the European Court of Justice, which recognize the state's right to restrict access to gambling for public safety and consumer protection.

4. Responsible Gaming Policy

The Ministry of Finance places particular emphasis on the social responsibility of operators.

• mandatory self-limiting instruments (deposits, rate limits, timeouts);
• a centralized database of self-excluded players;
• monitoring of abnormal behavior and intervention in case of signs of dependence;
• training casino staff and online operators in RG;
• a ban on aggressive advertising, especially with the participation of young people.

BMF regularly updates advertising and responsible play codes, adapting them to new digital formats (social media, mobile apps, streaming).

5. Tax and fiscal supervision

Since gambling is a source of significant tax revenues, the Ministry of Finance controls not only licensing, but also the operator tax system.

• administers the collection of game tax (Spielabgabe) and win tax;
• monitors the reporting of operators and the correctness of the GGR calculation;
• ensures budget revenues and distribution between federal and regional levels;
• participates in forecasting budget revenues from gambling.

This integration of fiscal and regulatory oversight makes the BMF unique among European bodies - it integrates the economic and social responsibility of the sector.

6. International cooperation and compliance

• sharing experiences through the European Gaming Regulators Forum (GREF);
• participation in the EU working group on AML and digital licenses;
• cooperation with German, Swiss, Maltese and Slovak authorities on cross-border transactions and advertising.

BMF also implements international AML5 standards, ISO 27001 and GDPR, and its internal regulations instruct operators to conduct audits by independent laboratories (GLI, iTech Labs).

7. Modern challenges: digitalization and AI control

• Identify suspicious transactions in real time
• analyze player behavioral patterns;
• generate dynamic reports for risk assessment of operators;
• predict violation of limits and RG indicators.

The ministry is developing the Digital Gambling Control platform, which combines data on licenses, complaints and inspections, which increases market transparency.

8. Significance of BMF for industry sustainability

Thanks to strict but predictable supervision, the Austrian market remains one of the most stable and transparent in Europe.

• protection of players, sustainability of tax revenues, reliable compliance, a positive international image of the country as a responsible jurisdictional center.

Bundesministerium für Finanzen is not just a financial department, but a full-fledged regulator of the gambling industry, combining legal supervision, social responsibility and fiscal stability. His philosophy is simple: "play is possible if it is controllable." It is thanks to the BMF that Austria maintains a balance between economic benefit and protection of citizens, confirming the reputation of a country with a high level of legal and ethical standard in the field of gambling.