Malta objection shortens Austria’s window between notification and iGaming launch

The Austrian Government will see the window between legislative approval and the launch of the new licensing framework shortened after a formal objection from Malta extended the EU notification period to 7 December 2026. The Executive retains its target of opening the licensed market in October 2027, when Win2Day’s licence expires that month. By Miguel Sandoval, Corresponsal de regulación.

What happened in the EU notification

Malta submitted detailed comments during the notification to the entire European Union, which automatically triggered an extension of the standstill period to 7 December 2026. The extension replaces the previously expected date of 5 November 2026 and shortens the time between the end of the EU procedure and the planned national entry into force of the text.

The Maltese intervention does not change the substance of the draft, but it adds extra procedures and analysis at the European Commission and member-state level. The Austrian Government keeps its legislative roadmap and still expects the regulated market to replace the current situation before the Win2Day licence expires in October 2027. The notification and its consequences are reflected in the file on regulation at EU level.

New regime: deadlines and requirements for operators

The bill transforms the online monopoly into an open licensing system. Key requirements in the draft include:

• An obligation to cease offering services to Austrian customers before 1 January 2027 so currently unauthorised operators in Austria may be eligible for a licence under the transitional process.

• A sanction of access-blocking to activity for 18 months, rising to 24 months from 2030 for operators in serious breach.

• Establishment of deposit limits with lower thresholds for players aged 18–26 years.

• Creation of a national self-exclusion register that will unify bans across casinos, slot halls and online platforms.

The Ministry of Finance estimates that around 20,000 players could claim compensation for losses suffered in the grey market. The new compliance architecture includes administrative enforcement tools such as payment blocking and network blocking to interrupt illegal services.

Player protection and gambling restrictions

Protection measures include deposit limits applicable to all authorised operators and a national platform that will monitor those limits and compliance. For slot machines the draft proposes rules that reduce maximum stake and game speed. In addition, a cooling-off period of 90 minutes is introduced after a continuous gaming session.

The text establishes specific age-related differences: deposit thresholds will be more restrictive for the 18–26 years bracket.

Land-based licences and controversy over package awards

The draft opens the possibility of granting up to 13 licences for land-based operators. Those licences would be processed in packages, a mechanism that has drawn complaints from potential smaller entrants because packages are likely to end up in the hands of “a couple of large operators.”

The Government justifies package allocation as a way to avoid what it calls excessive competition. The final modality and award criteria will form part of the implementing regulation after the EU notification is completed. The changes also affect the current dominant operator: Win2Day, a subsidiary of Austrian Lotteries, whose licence expires in October 2027.

Players, ownership and legal background

Win2Day has held the dominant position in the online market for almost 60 years. Majority control of Win2Day rests with the Austrian state through the holding ÖBAG, with notable stakes held by the state entity Österreichische Beteiligungs AG and the Allwyn group (formerly Sazka, part of KKCG).

Several European operators, including a significant presence of firms licensed in Malta, have accused the current Austrian framework of breaching EU law principles. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has on prior occasions urged Vienna to modernise its regulatory approach.

Reactions and risk of diversion to the black market

The Austrian Betting and Gaming Association (Austrian Betting and Gaming Association, OVWG) warned that the transitional rules, in particular the requirement to cease operations before 1 January 2027, may fail to steer players to the legal offer and could instead strengthen the black market. The Executive says that the imposition of blocking tools and the national limits platform will help control illegal supply.

The final timetable will depend on the outcome of the EU procedure after the extension to 7 December 2026. The Government maintains the operational market target of October 2027, the month in which Win2Day’s current licence expires.

For tracking developments and deadlines, the legislative and administrative transition will be covered in our updates on [news](/news) and in the [regulation](/regulation) section.