Austria proposes online gambling concessions and blocking measures in reform bill

The ordinary standstill period for Austria's notification 2026/0415/AT to the European Commission ends on 5 November 2026. The notification carries a draft federal law amending Austria's gambling legislation and the Telecommunications Act 2021.

Malta has submitted a detailed opinion on the Austrian draft. Submitting such an opinion prolongs the suspension period, during which the notifying state cannot definitively adopt the provisions concerned. The standstill deadline is now indicated as 7 December 2026. The notification documentation does not specify what Malta's observations say. The procedure under Directive (EU) 2015/1535 began on 4 August 2026.

The draft would introduce a new concession system for online gambling and tools against unauthorised operators, including website blocking, payment blocking and a published blacklist. The reform, prepared by Austria's Federal Ministry of Finance, is meant to change the current structure of the online gambling market. Under the draft, several operators would be able to obtain a concession to offer their services legally in the country. The new provisions allow injunctions to be issued against information society service providers to block access to unlicensed platforms. A payment-blocking system is meant to stop money transfers to and from unauthorised operators.

Austrian authorities argue that the tools currently available are no longer sufficient to counter the growth of the illegal market effectively. The Austrian government expressly acknowledges that the new provisions restrict the freedom to provide services in the European internal market. It considers the restrictions justified by overriding reasons of general interest. According to Vienna, the measures would apply equally to domestic and foreign operators. Austria will have to address the comments made under the TRIS procedure before definitively adopting the legislation.