According to local media, Austria’s Ministry of Finance plans to award the next land-based casino concessions in two bundled packages. The aim is to prevent operators from selecting only the most profitable locations, such as Vienna and Bregenz.
However, Austria’s Financial Procurator’s Office has warned that bundled tenders could increase the risk of legal challenges.
Of the current 12 casino concessions, some expire at the end of 2027 while others at the end of 2030. After adopting a new gambling law, the Government will run a tender process for casino locations.
The Government is also considering adding a 13th casino location, potentially in Vienna or in the border region of Burgenland. The argument is that this will generate additional tax revenue. Furthermore, a casino on the border would aim to attract an influx of gambling tourists.
Under the previous tender, the concessions were divided into an urban package covering Vienna, Linz, Salzburg, Graz, Innsbruck and Bregenz, and a rural package covering Baden, Kitzbühel, Kleinwalsertal, Seefeld, Velden and Zell am See.
The Austrian Court of Audit criticised that process in a 2016 report, saying the Finance Ministry had not demonstrated that the distribution of concessions or the division of the packages was optimal from a regulatory perspective.
The Finance Ministry said it plans to commission an objective study based on transparent criteria before determining the new packages. It argues that bundling concessions would prevent operators from selecting only the most attractive locations, particularly Vienna and Bregenz.
At the same time, the new law proposes reducing the minimum capital requirement for a casino from €22m ($25.4m) to €10m.
Austria is set to undertake its biggest gambling reform in more than two decades, with the new legislation set to liberalise the country’s online casino market
