Malta has filed a detailed opinion under the TRIS procedure, and the review of Austria's online gambling bill has been extended from November 5 to December 7, 2026. The notification is 2026/0415/AT, a federal law amending the Gambling Act and the 2021 Telecommunications Act.
The bill replaces the monopoly on online casinos and lotteries with open licensing. Austria sent it to Brussels on August 4, and the review was originally set to end on November 5.
Austria's Finance Ministry said parliament can keep working during the review period, but the law can only be adopted once the review ends. The delay leaves less time before the market opens in October 2027.
Under the draft, operators that currently work without a local license must stop serving Austrians from January 1, 2027. Otherwise they face a ban on applying for a license for 18 months, and from 2030 that period rises to 24 months. Win2Day currently holds the only license for online casinos and lotteries, while several other gambling brands operate in the country under licenses from other EU jurisdictions, including Malta.
The bill also introduces payment blocking and network blocking. Deposit limits apply to online gambling and slot machines, and the national self-exclusion register will cover casinos, slot machines and online gambling. Land-based licenses will be distributed in packages, with no more than 13 in total.
The next date is December 7. After that, parliament can adopt the law, which must take effect by January 1, 2027.
