Austria’s planned gambling market reform will now be delayed at the European Union level after Malta submitted a detailed opinion on the proposed legislation. This intervention will extend the notification period from November 5 to December 7, 2026, effectively delaying the next steps in the legislative process.
With the upcoming changes to Austria’s Gambling Act and Telecommunications Act 2021, the country seeks to end the online gambling monopoly and introduce an open-model market. The legislation is expected to enter into force on January 1, 2027.
The European Commission’s Technical Regulations Information System has listed the notification under reference 2026/0415/AT, while Austria submitted the draft legislation on August 4, 2026, with the original standstill period scheduled to end on November 5.
However, after Malta’s recent intervention on November 4, 2026, the deadline has been extended to December 7, 2026. The extra time will enable an EU-level review process to continue before Austria can proceed forward with the gambling changes.
Austria’s Gambling Reform Faces EU Scrutiny
Once introduced, the new model will allow Austria to revolutionise its existing online gambling monopoly with a regulated framework. Under the new model, multiple online casinos will be allowed to offer gambling services to Austrian customers.
At the moment, Win2Day, which is a subsidiary of Austrian Lotteries, holds the country’s only online casino and lotteries licence. However, several international operators also provide services to Austrian customers under licences issued in other EU jurisdictions, particularly Malta.
The planned reforms should help the country boost the number of players playing on regulated casino sites, while also providing high consumer protection standards.
In addition to the market liberalisation, Austria will also seek to introduce additional enforcement measures against illegal operators who target local consumers.
Some of these measures could include an official website-blocking procedure that would target illegal gambling platforms. The legislation also provides for payment blocking to prevent transactions to and from unauthorised gambling operators.
Austrian authorities will also publish an official blacklist of illegal gambling websites and issue public information and warnings about unlicensed services. The list will be constantly updated with the latest data on banned sites.
According to the Austrian notification, the standards should be able to address the growing illegal online gambling market while also improving regulatory oversight. The government argues that existing enforcement tools have proved insufficient to prevent unauthorised operators from accessing the market.
Malta’s Intervention Raises Questions for Operators
In the meantime, Malta's detailed opinion comes at a time of concerns among international gambling operators about certain provisions in the proposed legislation.
Under the draft rules, operators who pursue an Austrian online gambling concession will have to comply with a nine-month cooling-off period. The rules state that they must stop providing online casino services to Austrian customers by December 31, 2026, to qualify for the shorter exclusion period.
Operators that fail to meet this requirement could face an extended 18-month lockout period. They will also have to settle outstanding player claims and backdated taxes.
However, according to the president of the Austrian Association of Betting and Gaming (OVWG), Simon Priglinger-Simader, the group expected the intervention from Malta. It has also raised concerns about parts of the draft legislation.
“We had anticipated a detailed opinion, as we also have concerns about certain provisions of the current Austrian draft law,” Priglinger-Simader said in an interview.
Still, OVWG continues its discussions with Austrian policymakers and authorities. Its current priority is to establish proper regulatory conditions for a competitive and well-functioning online casino market.
However, the extension is not currently expected to significantly impact Austria’s legislative timeline. Vienna-based gaming lawyer Arthur Stadler commented that the amendments were still expected to pass before Christmas 2026.
“In principle, the timeline remains the same: the passage of the amendments is still expected before Christmas 2026,” Stadler said.
Nevertheless, the shorter period between ratification and implementation could create difficulties for gambling operators who are currently considering applications for the new licences.
Austria Still Targets January 2027 Market Opening
Despite the recent delay at the EU level, Austria is still planning to introduce its new gambling framework on January 1, 2027.
The parliamentary process is expected to take place between December 9 and 11, which would leave the government with a relatively narrow window to complete the legislation before the planned launch.
Public affairs consultant Felix Geyer questioned whether Malta’s intervention would provide any strategic advantage to operators seeking to challenge the reform.
He also suggested that the Austrian regulator could interpret the move negatively, particularly given the importance of establishing relationships with the country’s future regulatory authority.
However, for now, the extended notification period serves as another development in Austria’s long-awaited opening of the gambling market. The government must address the remaining EU-level concerns while maintaining its planned schedule for introducing the new licensing system.
