Located in Central Europe, Austria remained in history as the center of power of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, but after the defeat in World War I, it was reduced to a small republic. Later on, defined as a democratic and prosperous country, Austria joined the European Union in 1995 and the Monetary Market of UE in 1999. A very prosperous country in terms of GDP per capita, Austria has a very developed market economy and a high living standard.

Gambling is one of the most popular pastimes in Austria. In addition, the public interest has been focused on the gambling legislation of the country for quite some time. Being an important part of the economic sector, Austrian gambling is strictly regulated by the Govern and the European Committee. The favorite type of sports wagering in the country is predicting the outcome of football matches, due to the huge popularity of football in Europe.

Betting shops are available throughout the country, with the largest sports betting company being Admiral Sportwetten, where horse race wagering is also offered. For many years, Austria was considered to be one of the most loyal jurisdictions in relation to gambling, but since 2010 it has become much more difficult to buy an Austrian casino license. An online casino with the Austrian online gambling license can boast an unblemished reputation, and it automatically establishes the trust and respect for players. So the casino licensing procedure fully justifies the time and resources that were spent.

The government of Austria offers casino operators, software, and service providers in the gambling industry, with a gambling license that allows gambling operators to conduct business related to casino, lotto, and other gaming-related activities. Austria Gambling License is one of the most popular licenses for online casinos worldwide.

Austria’s latest national gambling bill was passed in June 2010. The online gambling laws dictate that Austria-based companies are eligible for online gaming licenses via the internet, mobile phones, and interactive television, but only Austrian residents are allowed to use them.

Vienna boasts the largest poker hall in Europe, but otherwise, most players play online. Online gambling in the country has a rich history. In fact, some of the European largest and most profitable online-based gambling companies originate from Austria.

Austria’s infrastructure offers a wide array of services for online gaming operators and providers, such as high-capacity private racks, private cloud services, custom dedicated servers amidst other hosting options. Austria has long been recognized as one of the preferred locations for Online Gambling operators to base their operations.

This success has been due to a combination of factors, such as a progressive legislative system, political stability, first-rate telecommunications facilities, and a well established financial services industry. A wide range of gambling sites operates out of Austria including sports betting, bingo, and more.

The Ministry of Finance is responsible for giving licenses for online gambling and for supervising those companies that are given licenses. This regulative was introduced with the June 2010 amendment to the 1989 Gambling Act, along with changes in casino taxes and their respective concessions. Currently, gaming and gambling activities in the country are controlled in correspondence to the rules imposed with the Austrian Gaming Act.

The latter divides the regulatory jurisdiction between the federal state and the nine provinces in the country depending on the gaming product. National Anti-Money Laundering Regulations, Unusual Transactions Act, Counter-Terrorism Financing Regulations and Know Your Customer Policies are applicable to all Austria Gambling Companies. As part of its duties, the Local Regulatory Authority monitors gaming businesses and services to ensure that they operate according to the standards and regulations of the Government of Austria.

Compliance audits are conducted on a regular basis to ensure that the terms of the license are met. Licensees must maintain a complete audit trail for each player making a deposit with an operator, including financial transactions and individual bets. Gaming systems, including back-end software logs, must be made available to third-party auditors.

Gaming rules, results of the game, and pay-outs are to be made available to the Regulator or supervising authority for five years.

Let’s talk more about the benefits by understanding the reasons why obtaining an Austria igaming license may be ideal for you.

When starting an Austria Online Gambling Business, first of all, it’s important to think about one of the most essential procedures, that is company registration and acquisition of the license. Austria Gambling License gives many excellent opportunities to each licensee and makes their business profitable.

The high cost of operation and high taxes are also characteristic of Austrian gambling legislation. In 2010, a number of important changes in the Austrian Gambling Act were made, included a change in corporate income taxes by lowering them down to 30%.

Austria has political stability, first-rate telecommunications facilities, and a well-established financial services industry. In addition, it maintains an attractive environment for international online gaming companies. Austria Gambling License is recognized by many countries all over the world, so you will have a large potential customer base after getting it.

In order to obtain an Austria Gambling License, the decision to approve the application is at the discretion of the Local Regulatory Authority, based on the documentation submitted by our experts. Austria issues one Online Gambling license which covers all gaming operations, igaming service providers, network operators, affiliates, white-label operators, and igaming software suppliers.

With this Austria Gambling License, online gaming companies can operate legally. Each applicant undergoes a thorough assessment, ensuring that licenses are only awarded to those applicants who are able to demonstrate such a financial standing and integrity as to preserve the international reputation of Austria as an online gambling hub.

In case something does not correspond to requirements, the Local Regulatory Authority will provide a checklist of necessary improvements. An Austria Gambling License covers all forms of online gambling including eSports, Sports Betting, Bingo, Horseracing, Fantasy Sports, Games of Skill, and other gaming-related activities.

• Residence in Austria. Operators wishing to offer their services to Austria gamblers must be residents of Austria, EU, or EEA and they must obtain the relevant licenses and authorizations from the Austria Regulatory Authority. In case the company is a foreign entity, it must appoint a local director, whose domicile is in Austria, to deal with the competent authorities in the country and have the power to conclude contracts on its behalf
• Opening of a bank account with one of the banks in Austria where the operator would need to deposit the players’ money. Licensed remote gaming operators will only be allowed to make payments to players through the payment processors that have been approved by the ARA
• Requirements regarding the minimum share capital of the company depending on the type of game it offers
• A monthly declaration giving details regarding income from games of change as well as the fees due will have to be submitted to the ARA on a standard form
• Compliance with the principles regarding the protection of minors as well as with the content of the promotional material used and the locations where they can be displayed