The European Betting and Gaming Association (EGBA) has urged Austria to replace its current “outdated” online casino gaming system.
According to the industry association, Austria’s choice to maintain a monopoly online casino gambling model endangers players while also accounting for “hundreds of millions” in tax revenue losses.
So far, 21 member states in Europe have used a multi-licensing scheme to modernize their online gambling regimes. Austria and Poland continue to be anomalies in this regard, according to the European Betting and Gaming Association.
What follows is “a thriving black market where thousands of Austrian players gamble on unregulated websites” .
“The country’s outdated gambling monopoly framework not only falls behind contemporary European standards but actively undermines consumer protection, regulatory oversight, and tax generation.”
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In its call to action, EGBA underlined what it believes are the three major benefits of an online casino multi-licensing strategy, the first of which is, of course, improved player security.
A structured regulated framework for online gaming would include necessary protections, safer gambling tools, and the increasingly popular option of self-exclusion.
Second, the industry organization claims that a regulated system would provide Austrian authorities greater control over the internet gaming business, resulting in more efficient monitoring and effective restrictions.
Finally, EGBA sees economic gains as a fundamental reason for changing the system. It predicts that multi-licensing can generate up to €1 billion in tax revenue by 2030 if uncontrolled internet gambling is included in the tax processes.
All of these factors have contributed to Europe’s recent shift in approach to online gambling, with Finland becoming the latest country to step away from its vertical monopoly and prepare to liberalize the market, following Denmark and Sweden’s successful examples.
EGBA urged Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP), National Council of Austria Chairman Andreas Babler (SPÖ), and Chairwoman Beate Meinl-Reisinger (NEOS) to prioritize multi-licensing in the incoming government’s agenda.
Maarten Haijer, EGBA Secretary General, stated, “The evidence from across Europe is clear and compelling: multi-licensing works.” Regulating gaming protects consumers and earns considerable tax money.With government discussions starting, Austria has an excellent chance to modernize its approach to online casino regulation while learning from established regulatory measures abroad. “The time to act is now.”
Local Austrian industry associations, such as the Austrian Association for Betting and Gambling (OVWG), have lately advocated changes to the country’s gambling laws.
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