Some background facts on Austria in a hurry:
- Population: 9.042 million people, an even roughly 50/50 gender split
- Language: German
- Currency: Euro (€)
- Median income: €3,406 per month
- Most popular banks: UniCredit Bank Austria, Raiffeisen Bank International
Austrian Gambling Regulation
The gaming industry in Austria is highly regulated, and Austria demands stringent licensing and rules for operation. This has led to feelings of safety and trust among its clients, driving them further towards internet gaming. The majority of players are specifically attracted by rewards like an instant bank transfer casino bonus, which guarantees rapid payments in combination with value-added for new or regular players. Furthermore, the Austrian government has made consumer protection measures against gambling problems, such as self-exclusion schemes and responsible gaming policies.
Austrian gambling law grants a quasi-monopoly whereby the online gambling licenses are awarded to partially state-owned firms.
The only licensed Austrian online gambling site is win2day.at, which is owned by United Austrian Gambling Licensees (CasAG) and Austrian Lotteries. The site offers sports betting, bingo, card games, virtual slot machines, and live dealer games (with visible dealers via video stream). However, win2day has been criticized for its inadequate implementation of player protection measures, such as time and expenditure limits.
In Austria, off-shore sports betting by foreign bookmakers is also federally licensed and regulated for local players. Income from gambling as a main source of income is the only one that needs to be taxed.
As illegal at the nation level, online gambling in foreign casinos is technically punishable but Austrian officials apply their enforcement action against the internet operators rather than consumers. No player has, to date, been prosecuted, and proceedings are extremely unlikely. As such, it's not surprising that online competitors of the Austria-licensed win2day — such as Bwin, Mr. Green, LeoVegas, Interwetten Casino, and PokerStars — are renowned in Austria due to mass promotion and continue to attract numerous customers with them even in their official illegality.
How to Get an Austrian Gambling License
Currently, there are gambling licenses in Austria, issued by type of activity. For example, individual licenses are required for poker, roulette, slots, etc. Consequently, operators will be required to submit sets of documentation separately for each game category.
An Austrian licensed online casino has an impeccable reputation and immediately commands the trust and respect of players. Thus, taking the time and making the investment to obtain a gambling license is generally worth it.
To be granted an Austrian gambling license, a businessperson must:
- Draw up and submit all the documents relating to registration as a legal entity (e.g., Articles of Association, minutes of founding meetings, company management information, proof of renting office space, etc.)
- Open a bank account in the name of the legal entity and send the account balance details to the licensing body. The operating license shall be granted only after the operator demonstrates its financial stability.
- Develop a clearly spelt 3-month business plan with specific goals, investment information, opportunities for development, etc.
- Have the technical functionality and usability of the gaming software tested through cooperation with the recognized bodies.
- Provide a full list of games, names, descriptions, mechanics, and other details, as the license has strict content requirements.
- Provide details of all integrated payment systems, as the license is granted to fair and transparent operators.
Popular Brands
Austria is a preferred Tier-1 GEO among affiliate marketers and dominates gambling and betting search-related inquiries. Following is the top 10 most frequently visited iGaming products in Austria according to their market share in search engines, which is a reflection of player demand:
- Win2day (338K)
- NetBet (17K)
- Stake (11K)
- Mr. Bet (10.8K)
- Mr. Green (6.3K)
- 888casino (2.5K)
- Just Casino (2.2K)
- Sol Casino (1.8K)
- BC.Game (1.2K)
- Slotbox Casino (1.1K)
Devices Used by Austrians for Online Gambling
Android leads the Austrian mobile operating system market. Approximately 63% of the devices utilized in the country are based on Android, and over 37% are Apple's iOS.
