Gambling Laws in Austria

Austria is a permissive country when it comes to gambling, with all types being legal. Though the operator Casinos Austria, has almost complete control over these.

Which Gambling Activities Are Legal in Austria?

The situation regarding gambling in Austria is very player-friendly, with almost all forms of offline and online gambling being legal. The Ministry of Finance is responsible for regulating operators, with only 15 licences being issued to date. 12 are held by Casinos Austria, a large corporation that runs all of the land-based casinos in the country. At the same time, the other three licences were issued to private corporations but later revoked for failure to comply with Austrian laws.

Austrians generally have no problem finding venues to enjoy themselves. Though laws dictate that players must be protected while gambling, which is why many machines and online games have stakes and time limits.

While players enjoy a relatively easy time, prospective operators have a much more laborious experience. Companies hoping to acquire an Austrian gambling licence must fulfil certain conditions. These include locating their main office in Austria, serving only Austrian residents and complying with the country's prolific gambling tax laws. So strict are these regulations that only one operator meets all the requirements, Casinos Austria. The only other is the Austrian Lottery (win2day), but Casinos Austria also holds a stake in that company.

Offline and Online Casinos

There are 12 land-based casinos which operate in Austria, with half located within big cities and popular tourist destinations. In contrast, the other half are situated in more rural locations. Available games include blackjack, roulette, poker and slot machines. Each of Austria's nine provinces controls its laws regarding sports betting and Kleines Glücksspiel (small-stakes gambling), such as slot machines.

There are numerous slot parlours across the country. Strict protocols are in place to protect players such as stake and time limits and a general shutting off of machines after 2 hours of gameplay.

Casinos Austria is also the only operator to hold a licence to operate online. The site offers various betting opportunities, including online casino slots, live dealer games and RNG tables. Online casino games can also be accessed on the Austrian lotto site, win2day.

Gambling on Games of Poker

Poker is popular in the country and games are offered via Casinos Austria's casinos. However, in 2013, the Ministry of Finance declared that poker is a game of chance, resulting in clubs nationwide being forced to close by 2020.

Playing online is permitted for residents, but only via the Casinos Austria platform. Foreign online gambling sites are not legally allowed to operate in the country.

Playing Bingo

Most bingo gameplay occurs via the Casinos Austria online casino or the Austrian Lottery website win2day, which is powered by Playtech. There are in-person opportunities within the licensed land-based casinos too but there are no dedicated halls in the country as these aren't permitted.

Purchasing Lottery Tickets

Austria's love for all things lotto goes back to 1751 when the Genova Lottery was first launched. Today, the Austrian Lottery is the sole holder of the country's only lotteries licence. The operator offers a range of online lottery games for real money, including draws, instant win games and various offline terminals for purchasing tickets.

Social Gambling and Online Crypto Casinos

Recent suggested changes to gambling laws could mean tighter controls on social games, particularly those offering loot boxes. This could mean that game providers will face the same rigorous protocols as Casinos Austria. Free slot games via apps are permitted as well as social casinos, where real money isn't exchanged.

Cryptocurrencies are frequently used in Austria but are not classed as legal tender. None of the existing land-based gambling venues currently accept virtual coins as payment either. There are plenty of online crypto casinos though which openly accept residents - even though this is illegal.

Austrian Sports Betting Laws

Sports betting is legal in all 9 of the country's provinces. Still, some apply certain restrictions such as total bet limits of €500 and no betting between 00:00 and 06:00. Styria and Vienna restrict live sports betting to only full-time, full-time and goalscorer markets. 

Austrians can legally enjoy online sports betting via the Casinos Austria website, the Austrian Lotteries website or the Toto betting terminals.

Daily fantasy sports are not currently covered in Austria's gambling laws and currently remain illegal. While eSports are permitted in some provinces and illegal in others.

Minimum Gambling Age Restrictions

The legal minimum gambling age in Austria is 18. This restriction applies to land-based and online casinos as well as sports betting and the lottery.

Austrian Gambling Tax Regulations

Austria's gambling tax laws are some of the steepest in the world, with the amount due varying depending on the activities. For example, operators offering sports betting must pay a 2% tax on all stakes, while those offering online gambling or electronic lotteries face a 40% tax on gross gambling revenue. Luckily, the country places the onus on operators regarding taxes, with players able to enjoy their winnings entirely tax-free.

History of Gambling Laws in Austria

Austria has a long history of gambling and the first law was passed in 1696 to allow for criminal charges for unlawful gambling. Around the same time, a Viennese court started issuing licences for card and dice games.

The country's first lotto, the Genova Lottery, was launched by a private company in 1751 and still runs today. In 1773 the government took over the private company to fund societal needs. In 1912 the lottery was changed to allow more frequent draws.

Austria's first modern casinos were opened in Semmering and Baden in 1934. In 1938 casino gambling was prohibited with only those already in operation allowed to remain open. By 1950 this law was overturned.

1967 saw the launch of Österreichische Spielbanken known today as Casinos Austria, with the company taking over several existing casinos. Blackjack arrived in 1970, with Vienna being the first location to host the new game.

The country's main gambling law, Glücksspielgesetz (GSpG) was passed in 1989, with the first casino and Lottery licences being issued. The GSpG law was amended to allow casinos to operate daily except on Christmas Eve from 2000.

In 2003 the Austrian Lottery launched its range of online games via win2day.

Poker was declared a game of chance in 2013 with clubs nationwide forced to close by 2020.

Plans were suggested in 2017 to enable ISPs to block foreign online gambling sites from operating in Austria.

In 2021 the Ministry of Finance outlined plans to create a new regulatory body and implement greater player protection.

Key Facts

Austria's gambling laws are more about player protection than anything else, with just about all activities legal as long as they are accessed via Casinos Austria or the Austrian Lottery's website.