Austria's Ministry of Finance is actively preparing a new draft for the gambling monopoly tender, proposing unified player protection standards and an independent regulatory body, which has sparked strong calls from operators for market liberalization. Relevant gambling regulatory reform cases can be referenced on the PASA official website.
Core of the Draft: Dual Approach to Player Protection and Illegal Operations Crackdown
The new draft clarifies three core directions to lay the foundation for subsequent tenders:
Establish unified online and offline player protection standards, set "age-based loss limits," and strengthen protection for vulnerable groups;
Plans to establish an independent gambling regulatory body responsible for industry oversight and compliance review, enhancing regulatory professionalism;
Through payment blocking, domain name screening, and hefty fines, it aims to severely crack down on unlicensed illegal operators and purify the market environment. The Ministry of Finance spokesperson did not disclose whether the monopoly model would end, only emphasizing that the draft will provide a legal basis for the tenders in the coming months.
Policy Reversal: Leaked Draft Sparks Controversy and Prompt Adjustment
In December last year, a leaked reform draft caused an uproar in the industry. The draft proposed continuing the monopoly model and using regulatory undercover "test betting," tightening foreign casino advertising, and other aggressive measures to combat illegal operations.
Due to widespread criticism, the Ministry of Finance quickly adjusted its stance, announcing that the leaked draft was not the final version and would be modified based on industry feedback. This reversal also reflects the oscillation between monopoly and openness in Austria's gambling policy, with the expiration of existing monopoly licenses in 2027 further fueling market expectations for a model transformation.
Market Dynamics: Dual Possibility of Monopoly Continuation and Open Competition
The current Austrian gambling market operates under a single monopoly model: Win2day, under Austria's lottery, holds a 15-year online gambling license, and its parent company Casinos Austria controls all 12 offline casino licenses, with the state-owned holding company ÖBAG owning 33% of Casinos Austria. Six of these offline licenses will expire in 2027, and the remaining six in 2030.
The industry presents two possible scenarios:
Worst-case scenario: Continuing the monopoly model while intensifying the crackdown on the black and gray markets, but industry associations warn that this could lead to tax revenue losses, contradicting the government's initial intent to increase revenue;
Best-case scenario: Fully opening the market, issuing about 30 licenses based on the German model, overseen by an independent regulatory body planned to be established by 2029, to stimulate market competition.
Operators' Call: End the "Outdated" Monopoly and Embrace Diverse Licensing
Operators' dissatisfaction with the current monopoly model is growing. Monica Raseck, CEO of Austrian operator Admiral, pointed out that the monopoly leads to the continuous expansion of the black market, lack of basic player protection, and government's loss of tax revenue and regulatory initiative.
International operators like Entain also call for Austria to abandon the "outdated" monopoly system and establish a transparent and strict multi-license framework. As many European countries open up their gambling markets, the final direction of Austria's tender draft will be a key test of its industry competitiveness.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leaders," a gambling industry news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
Original in-depth gambling channel:https://t.me/gamblingdeep
Free data reports: @pasa_research
PASA Matrix: @pasa002_bot
PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
