Austria’s gambling reform delayed as Malta triggers extended EU review

Austria’s planned gambling reform is going through a long-term European Union review process following Malta’s detailed opinion on the proposed legislation. Initially, the legislation was subject to the standstill period ending on November 5. However, the Technical Regulation Information System of the European Commission (TRIS) has amended the deadlines, moving them to December 7 and naming Malta as the country that provided the detailed opinion. Austrian Department of Finance stated that parliamentary discussions can go on in the standstill period, while the law can be officially accepted only after the review. The draft legislation suggests the abolishment of the previous Austrian online gambling monopoly in favor of an open licensing measure. The suppliers that are working illegally until now will have to stop their operations by January 1, 2027, to obtain their license. If operators cannot meet the deadline will have to wait before becoming eligible. The suggested measure by law is to impose an 18-month exclusion period initially, which is going to increase to 24 months in 2030. Proposed lower limits are suggested for 18-26 aged players too. The enforcement measures provided by the law include payment and network blocking. In the land-based sector, the proposal would limit the number of casino licences to 13, with licences potentially awarded in packages. The extended EU review means Austria’s proposed gambling framework remains subject to further scrutiny before the legislation can move towards formal adoption.