The European Betting and Gaming Association (EGBA) called on Austrian authorities to re-think and overhaul the country's approach to online gambling regulations.
The current system supports a single state-run monopoly without accounting for the developments and realities of modern online betting sites. According to EGBA, this hurts both player safety and Austria's tax revenues.
Austria's Outdated Legislation
While 21 EU member states have already fully modernised their online gambling frameworks through multi-licensing for online casino gaming, EGBA claims that Austria remains locked in the past. Besides Poland, it's the only EU member state that has not addressed gambling regulation in decades.
Austria's current regulation's only allow for the state-run lottery to offer games of chance. Licensing is barely present, and largely limited to physical betting shops without addressing the online gaming industry.
EGBA states that a thriving black market has emerged due to this lack of regulation, leaving thousands of players at risk. With no proper regulation, anyone looking to gamble online in Austria lacks any sort of movement protection.
EGBA's Push for Reform
As per a statement released on December 18 2024, EGBA is urging Austrian authorities to seize this moment and introduce major reforms to how gambling regulation is handled. According to the statement, “By prioritising the introduction of multi-licensing for online casino gaming in the new government’s programme, they can build on the foundation of reforms initiated by former Finance Minister Brunner and bring Austria’s gambling regulation into the 21st century.”
EGBA outlines several advantages of adopting new policies, including:
- Better player protection
- Improved regulatory oversight
- Greater economic benefits
To reach these goals, the Association also suggests clear steps such as establishing a licensing framework, independent oversight, and a new tax policy.
Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA, emphasises the urgency for reform:
“The evidence from across Europe is clear and compelling: multi-licensing works. It brings gambling activity into the regulated market, protects consumers, and generates significant tax revenue. With government negotiations underway, Austria has a golden opportunity to modernise its approach to online casino regulation and benefit from the proven regulatory approaches elsewhere. The time to act is now.”
