The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has called on the Austrian government to overhaul the country’s gambling regulations. They urged the government to end the monopoly system for online casinos.
The EGBA said Austria remains stuck in the past as one of only two EU countries, along with Poland, still relying on a monopoly. Meanwhile, most EU member states have embraced modern licensing frameworks.
The trade association added that the country’s outdated gambling monopoly framework not only falls behind contemporary European standards but actively undermines consumer protection, regulatory oversight, and tax generation.
The call of EGBA comes in the middle ongoing coalition tasks. This follows the general election of Austria on September 29.
In spite of winning, the FPÖ or far-right Freedom Party has been unable to secure a coalition partner.
President Alexander van der Bellen tasked Karl Nehammer, leader of the second-placed People’s Party (ÖVP), with forming a government.
Since 1995, Nehammer plans to make Austria’s first three-way coalition. This is with the SPÖ or Social Democrats and liberal Neos.
EGBA encourages the three parties to seize this pivotal moment to implement much-needed reform, in light of these developments.
The EGBA advocates for the introduction of a multi-licensing system for online casino gaming. 21 other EU countries have already adopted this model.
The association pointed out that much of the online gambling market operates unregulated under the current monopoly system. Many Austrian players are turning to offshore sites.
Austria could align with European best practices by shifting to a multi-licensing system, improving consumer protection and regulatory oversight.
The EGBA has cited the experiences of countries such as Denmark and Sweden. In these countries, multi-licensing led to a significant increase in regulated market share, better consumer protections, and higher tax revenues.
