Interest is building in Austria’s upcoming lottery concession tender, with local media reporting that several international gambling groups are preparing bids for one of the country’s most profitable gaming licences.
Although the tender process has not yet begun, three international operators have already signalled their intent to compete for the concession, including FDJ United and Brightstar, as well as other potential bidders such as the Izi Group from Malta.
Austrian Lotteries, a subsidiary of Casinos Austria, generated nearly €109m ($124.5m) in net profit from lotteries and online gambling in 2024, according to its latest annual report.
The current concession, originally set to expire at the end of 2027, will possibly be extended until a new licence holder is selected.
However, the most anticipated change coming to the Austrian market is, of course, the liberalisation of the online casino market. This comes amid the broader reform of the Austrian Gambling Act in over two decades.
However, iGaming operators previously active in Austria without an official licence will be required to undergo a “cooling-off” period by concluding the “previous illegal online offer” from 1 January 2027 until the licence is awarded.
For operators who choose not to comply, an 18-month blocking period will be enforced. Furthermore, licence applicants must first settle any outstanding debts owed to the state and all unpaid claims arising from player-protection lawsuits.
A central, cross-operator and cross-game blocking register will be introduced as part of the new Gambling Act reform, in which both operator-side blocking and self-blocking will be centrally recorded.
Coalition party SPÖ’s Jan Krainer commented on the Gambling Act reform: “We are improving player protection and we are bringing order to an online market that has become grayer and blacker in recent years”
