Publication date: 13 August 2025
Austria stands as one of the most intriguing and complex European markets for iGaming media buying. The country is poised for radical changes in regulating betting and gambling. On 3S.INFO, we’ll analyze how to direct traffic to online casinos and bookmakers in Austria, outline applicable laws and discuss strategies for attracting users to gambling websites.
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Why Is Austria a Trending iGaming Market?
Austria’s gambling market is thriving. According to Statista forecasts, Austria’s online gambling market is expected to grow to 777 million euros by 2029, with an average annual growth rate of 4.22%. This makes Austria one of the most promising markets for iGaming media buying in Europe.
Key advantages for affiliates in Austria include high internet penetration (95.3% of the population has access), providing a vast audience of potential players. Austrians have strong purchasing power and a longstanding loyalty to gambling and betting, with a centuries-old tradition in the industry.
Notably, the current monopolistic system creates a distinctive situation: the licensed operator Win2day controls only about 30% of the market, leaving the remaining 70% to operators holding licenses from other EU countries. This provides immense opportunities for affiliates working with international brands.
How Are Gambling Activities Regulated in Austria?
Gambling in Austria has deep historical roots dating back to the 17th century. Initially, it was popular among lower social strata (craftsmen and farmers) who regularly gathered to play dice and various ball games.
The modern era of gambling regulation began with the adoption of the first federal gambling law (Glücksspielgesetz) in 1922, establishing a state monopoly on gambling operations. Meanwhile, major changes came in 1960 with the expansion of regulated gambling activities and reinforcement of state control.
In 1989, Casinos Austria secured an exclusive license to operate land-based casinos, formalizing the monopolistic structure. In 2008, the law was amended to include provisions for online gambling, extending the state monopoly to the digital sphere and granting Casinos Austria exclusive rights to conduct online casino operations.
The primary law governing gambling in Austria is the Glücksspielgesetz (GSpG, Law on Games of Chance), enacted in 1989. This federal law establishes a monopoly over most types of gambling, including casinos, lotteries, and online gambling.
The regulatory framework in Austria operates on two levels:
Federal Level: The Austrian Ministry of Finance oversees licensing and supervision of casinos, lotteries and online games. The Tax Authority Austria acts as the direct regulator, monitoring licensed companies.
Regional Level: Nine federal states in Austria have the authority to regulate sports betting. Each state issues its own licenses to bookmakers, resulting in a fragmented regulatory betting system.
How to Obtain an Austrian iGaming License?
Gambling licenses in Austria are issued by the Ministry of Finance through the Austrian Tax Authority. The licensing process is highly regulated and sets rigorous requirements for applicants.
To obtain a casino license, a company must be a legal entity based in the EU/European Economic Area. The law caps the number of land-based casino licenses at 15, with 12 currently owned by Casinos Austria AG. Licenses are issued for up to 15 years through a tender procedure.
The license for lotteries and online casinos is monopolistic and currently held by Österreichische Lotterien GmbH until September 30, 2027. This license grants the right to organize electronic lotteries, including online casino games.
Licensing Costs:
Application fees amount to 10,000 euro, with an additional payment of 100,000 euro upon obtaining the license. Annual fees vary depending on the type of activity and company turnover.
For sports betting, each federal state sets its own requirements and licensing costs. For example, in Carinthia, the license fee starts at 388.9 euro.
What Casino and Betting Brands Exist in Austria?
A complete list of licensed operators is available on the Ministry of Finance website.
Win2day (win2day.at): The sole licensed online casino operator, owned by Österreichische Lotterien. Offers slots, table games, poker, bingo.
Casinos Austria AG: Runs 12 land-based casinos and partially owns Austrian Lotteries. Has international operations through Casinos Austria International.
tipp3: Dominant player in sports betting, majority-owned by Austrian Lotteries (56%). Holds licenses in all nine federal states and manages a network of around 3,000 betting shops.
International brands operate in the grey sector under licenses from other EU countries. Major players include Stake.com, Lottoland.at, Platincasino.com and Lottohelden.com, controlling approximately 20% of the market.
According to Blask’s analysis (August 2025), the top 10 most popular iGaming brands in Austria include:
How Much Money Is Made in Austria’s Gambling Market?
In 2025, Austria underwent significant changes in gambling taxation. Beginning April 1, 2025, taxes on sports betting increased from 2% to 5% of gross revenue. Simultaneously, the government imposed a 10% tax hike on gambling activities, including casinos and other gaming operations.
Licensed operators pay substantial taxes on Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR). In 2023, Casinos Austria Group paid 724 million euros in taxes and levies, constituting a significant portion of their earnings. Of this amount, 612 million euros consisted of gaming taxes.
Tax rates differ by activity type. Lotteries are taxed at approximately 40% of GGR. Land-based casinos also pay high taxes, reaching up to 90% of GGR in some instances.
Austria’s Gambling Market Operators and Income (2023)
| Operator | License Type | Revenue 2023 (in € million) | Market Share |
| Casinos Austria AG | Casino Monopoly | 304.5 (Casino GGR) | Licensed Casinos: 100% |
| Austrian Lotteries | Lottery Monopoly | 946.8 (Lottery GGR) | Licensed Lotteries: 100% |
| Win2day (Online) | Online Casino/Lottery | Austrian Lotteries Share | Online Market: 65% |
| Tipp3 (Sports Betting) | Sports Betting | Declined by 2.7% in 2023 | Major Player in Sports Betting |
| WINWIN (VLT) | Video Lottery Terminals | Grew by 3.3% in 2023 | Growing VLT Segment |
| Admiral (Novomatic) | Provincial Gaming Machines | Significant Market Share | Sports Betting Market: 50% |
| Unlicensed Operators | Unlicensed | ~35% of the Online Market | Unlicensed Online: 35% |
Austrian players are not taxed on gambling winnings, making the country attractive for gamblers. Exceptions apply only if gambling becomes the player’s primary source of income.
Government forecasts predict additional tax revenues of 50 million euros in 2025, 129 million euros in 2026 and around 150 million euros in 2027.
How Are Illegal Casinos and Betting Sites Blocked in Austria?
Blockades of illegal operators are carried out by the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with internet service providers and banks. The system involves blocking domains, IP addresses and payment transactions.
The new coalition government intends to implement “decisive” measures against illegal gambling and betting, including internet blocking and payment transaction blocks.
Technical measures include DNS-level domain blocking, IP-address blocking of unlicensed operators and payment transaction blocks through banks and payment systems. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are obligated to enforce regulator directives for blocking access to illegal gambling websites.
Penalties for violating gambling laws can be substantial. In the first half of 2024, Austria’s financial police imposed fines totaling 962 thousand euros for illegal gambling activities, a decrease compared to 2.75 million euros in the same period of 2023, indicating the effectiveness of enforcement measures.
- Operation “ICARUS” in March 2024 demonstrated the authorities’ commitment. The operation included 19 searches in Austria and Greece, confiscating hundreds of gaming machines, computers and substantial amounts of cash.
How Are Austrian Users Attracted to Betting and Gambling Websites?
Located in Central Europe, Austria borders eight countries, including Germany, Switzerland, Italy and several Eastern European nations. As of January 1, 2025, the country’s population totals 9.2 million people.
Austria’s major cities include Vienna (the capital) with a population of 2 million, comprising over 22% of the country’s total population. Other significant cities are Graz (Styria), Linz (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Innsbruck (Tyrol), and Klagenfurt (Carinthia).
German is the official language spoken by 97-98% of the population. Note that around 40% of Austrians speak English, ranking Austria second in Europe according to the EF English Proficiency Index, making it accessible for international operators and affiliates.
The official currency is the euro (EUR), simplifying financial transactions for European operators.
Austria exhibits some of the highest digitalization rates in Europe. According to DataReportal, internet penetration stood at 95.3% as of early 2025, with 8.69 million active internet users.
Mobile connectivity is even more impressive, with 13.4 million active mobile subscriptions as of early 2025, equating to 147% of the total population. This indicates that many residents possess multiple mobile devices or SIM cards.
Social media platforms are used by 7.3 million Austrians, representing 80.1% of the population. This creates vast opportunities for marketing and driving traffic through social networks.
Especially important for the iGaming industry is that 82% of all cashless transactions in 2021 were contactless, with mobile applications like ELBA-pay and George gaining popularity.
Characteristics of Austria’s Target Audience for Casinos and Bookmakers
Who Gambles in Austria?
Austria’s gambling audience exhibits interesting demographic traits. According to TGM Research’s 2024 survey, the most common frequency of playing casino games in Austria is once a month (16.23% of respondents). A significant portion (14.42%) plays several times a month, while the same percentage engages several times a week.
Daily gambling participation is rare, reflecting a more moderate attitude among Austrians compared to some other European markets. This creates opportunities for affiliates to focus on long-term player retention strategies.
European studies reveal that the most prevalent age group for casino players falls between 25-44 years old. Men account for approximately 70% of the market, although female participation is on the rise.
What Casino Games / Slots Are Played in Austria?
Austrian players exhibit clear preferences for specific game types. Online casinos predominantly feature slots, particularly classic machines from Novomatic, an Austrian game provider. “Book of Ra Deluxe” stands out as one of the most popular slots, offering payouts up to 5000x.
Locally themed games are equally appreciated. “Sissi: Empress of Austria” adds local charm with royal free spins, while slots inspired by Austrian folklore find their audience.
Mobile casino apps demonstrate steady growth in popularity. In Austria’s Google Play Store top 50 rankings, games from Funstage dominate, including Slotpark Casino Slots Games, Diamond Cash Slots Casino and GameTwist Vegas Casino Slots.
According to Blask’s report (August 2025), the top 10 most popular games in Austria include:
- Legacy of Dead
- Gates of Olympus
- Gates of Olympus Super Scatter
- Sweet Bonanza 1000
- Big Bass Splash
- Big Bass Vegas Double
- Book of Dead
- Book of Fallen
- Bigger Bass Splash
- Sugar Rush 1000
For more details on casino games worldwide, refer to the article “Online Slots 2025: What’s Converting and Where’s the Traffic”.
What Sports Do Austrians Bet On?
- Football dominates sports betting in Austria. Austrians actively wager on domestic Bundesliga and German Bundesliga matches, with UEFA Champions League and Europa League fixtures offering the most attractive odds. Local teams like Sturm Graz and Austria Wien always attract bettors, especially when favorable handicaps and totals are available.
- FC Red Bull Salzburg is Austria’s most successful team, winning 17 league titles and 9 cups. The team regularly participates in European competitions and is a primary focus for betting on Austrian football.
- Winter sports occupy a special place in Austria’s betting culture. Skiing competitions, notably the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, garner significant attention from bettors. Given Austria’s strength in alpine skiing, these events are particularly popular for betting.
- Tennis also commands a devoted audience. Despite Dominic Thiem’s retirement after the Vienna Open in 2024, Austrians continue to closely follow ATP tournaments, US Open and other major events. Bookmakers frequently offer special promotions for tennis.
- Ice hockey occupies a significant position in Austrian betting. Although Austria is not a hockey powerhouse, fans actively bet on German teams and the Austrian EBEL league. The NHL also has a respectable fanbase, especially when Austrian players participate in games.
- Esports is gaining momentum in Austria, particularly among younger audiences. Popular disciplines include CS:GO, League of Legends, Dota 2, FIFA. Austrian bettors place wagers on both international and regional tournaments. Platforms like Bet365, Tipico and Unibet offer esports lines for Austrian audiences, with major tournaments such as The International (Dota 2), League of Legends World Championship and CS:GO Majors being especially popular.
- For more details on Austria’s key sporting events and competition start dates, check out the 3S.INFO Sporting Events Calendar.
What Payment Solutions Should Be Available on Websites for Austria?
- Functional payment solutions are crucial for success in Austria. Primary payment methods include debit and credit cards (35% of online transactions), digital wallets (25%) and bank transfers.
- PayPal dominates digital wallets. 79% of Austrians used PayPal for online purchases in Q1 2025. Other popular wallets include Apple Pay, Google Pay and Amazon Pay.
- Local payment solutions are crucial. Electronic Payment Standard (EPS) is Austria’s primary bank transfer system, used by over 80% of local merchants. EPS enables customers to make payments directly from their bank accounts via online banking interfaces.
- Open Banking is rapidly gaining popularity. Key providers include solutions from Raiffeisen Group (ELBA-pay), Erste Group (George), and pan-European platforms like Noda, offering instant settlements with a commission of just 0.1%.
- Cryptocurrencies also find their audience among Austrian players, particularly those preferring anonymity and fast transactions.
- Learn more about all media buying opportunities in Austria: advantages, competition, working schemes, case studies and tips.
- Ready to launch your ad campaign? Top Betting and Gambling Offers in Ausria.
Future Prospects for Austria’s iGaming Market
Austria stands at the threshold of potentially revolutionary changes in gambling regulation. Industry experts view 2025 as a decisive year for possible market liberalization.
A pivotal factor is the expiration of Casinos Austria’s monopoly license on September 30, 2027. Authorities must initiate a tender process for new licenses starting in 2025, opening a window of opportunity for the online gambling market.
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) actively urges Austria to update its regulations. The organization notes that 21 EU countries have adopted multiple licensing systems for online casinos, whereas Austria remains “locked in the past” alongside Poland.
Predictions on liberalization timelines remain uncertain. Some experts suggest that a shift toward a competitive licensing system might happen within the next 2-3 years, particularly considering the successful experiences of countries like Denmark and Sweden.
Currently, Austria stands as one of the most promising yet challenging markets for iGaming media buying in Europe. The country is on the cusp of significant regulatory changes, presenting both opportunities and risks for affiliates and operators. Don’t miss out: Part II of our review covers everything you need to know about promoting gambling and betting in Austria, including media buying opportunities, risks, outlook as well as case studies and strategies.
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