Central Europe

Gambling industry of Austria in the scope of coronavirus

Published

6 years ago

March 19, 2020

Zoltan Tundik

General information about the current state of the Austrian gaming industry as related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Gambling industry of Austria in the scope of coronavirus: what awaits the locals?

What started out as a contained threat somewhere in East Asia – turned out to be a world-wide threat. What we’re talking about, of course, is the coronavirus pandemic that caught the world’s attention. Practically everyone and everything is affected – even the gaming industry has experienced a serious impact. If you’re a visitor of some of the most popular online casinos in Austria, then you too may have some questions about how exactly the gambling industry is affected by the coronavirus. Read the rest of this article to find out.

The effects of Coronavirus on the gaming industry in Austria

It’s still too early to measure the full extent of the coronavirus impact on the Austrian gaming industry – especially given the fact that the pandemic still rages all around the world. But it’s safe to say that land-based casinos have gotten their fair share of profit-loss since the pandemic came out.

Namely, the Austrian authorities have implemented strict measures and now the Austrian casinos are closed. This includes all twelve of the Austrian Casinos that are spread all over the cities in Austria (from Baden to Zell am See).

It’s easy to see why this is the case. In extreme cases, there were even curfew measures introduced by the governments of the severely-affected countries. This means that people are still forced to stay at home until the pandemic gets cleared out – and it follows that they can’t go to the land-based casinos. But also – people are not much in the mood of visiting the online casinos, either.

So, Ute Schreiner, CMO & Product Adviser at CasinoNow Austria Portal, comments the following:

“The gambling industry is a long-term story. Keep calm – we work as usual and continue to review the most popular online casinos in Austria. The current situation is challenging, and online casinos will offer various tasty bonuses to visitors, striving to attract the newcomers and do everything to keep old players.”

How does the future look?

If you follow the news (I bet you do), then chances are that you have seen that the epidemic in East Asia has begun to subside. As more and more of the European countries – Austria included – begin to implement draconic measures to protect the people from the coronavirus – the situation is likely to be under control in the near future.

And this means that the economy will get back to normal – and people will start earning money once again, which, in turn means that the casinos will start to get more and more visitors in the near future. In an optimistic scenario – all of the casinos will reopen and the gaming industry in Austria will return to normal in the end of April 2020.

For now, suffice it to know that people are generally safe when they are in their homes. And if you have access to the internet – then this means that you can still enjoy playing your favorite gambling games – all from the safety of your home.

Online gaming

As it was mentioned by the local industry’s expert – the owners of the online casinos are doing their best to attract new customers and retain their old ones. Given the fact that people are, for the most part, afraid for their lives – it’s easy to see why they aren’t particularly inclined to do online gaming, among other things.

So, in our estimate, in the next six months the owners of online casinos will have to work extra hard to give the players an incentive to play. So, you can expect that there will be newer and bigger bonuses for the new players – in the form of deposit match and free spins. There will also be many other bonuses dedicated to capturing the attention of the current players. This is all good news – the players such as yourself will have an even bigger incentive to use the online casinos until the coronavirus pandemic is finally contained.

In conclusion

Whatever happens, we sincerely hope that the coronavirus pandemic will subside as soon as possible. There are indications that show that exactly this is the case – the number of people that are getting infected is getting reduced in various parts around the world. And, with the implementation of strict measures across the Europe, this trend is likely to continue.

Either way, you can still enjoy playing online gaming games in the relative safety of your home – and the new bonus offers will serve to attract your attention even more. The situation is pretty bad at the moment in terms of eGaming, but as soon as the pandemic stops – the Austrian casinos and eSports industry will start working its way towards full recovery.

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Central Europe

Sportradar Extends its Data and Audiovisual Betting Rights Agreement with Deutscher Fussball-Bund

Published

13 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

sportradar-extends-its-data-and-audiovisual-betting-rights-agreement-with-deutscher-fussball-bund

Sportradar Group AG announced a multi-year extension of its data and audiovisual (AV) betting rights agreement with Deutscher Fussball-Bund (DFB), the German Football Association. The rights were originally secured as part of the company’s acquisition of IMG ARENA in 2025.

Under the renewed agreement, Sportradar acquires exclusive data and streaming betting rights for Germany’s prestigious cup competition, DFB-Pokal, worldwide outside of the DACH region, in addition to non-exclusive global media data rights. For the first time in this competition, skeletal data will be introduced to fuel fan engagement products in the same way Sportradar provides for partners including UEFA, Bundesliga and the NBA.

The deal represents the first direct agreement between the parties relating to DFB’s premium cup competition. The new agreement begins at the start of 2026/2027 c and Sportradar will cover all 63 DFB-Pokal matches per season. Sportradar and DFB have previously enjoyed a longstanding partnership including content production and editorial services.

With global Gross Gaming Revenue in soccer betting expected to increase by approximately 50% over the next four years, Sportradar is uniquely positioned to support its clients capture further market share through next generation, hyper-personalized, hyper-immersive experiences.

Sportradar continues to innovate in soccer, combining deep data with proprietary AI technology to create new dynamic betting products such as micro markets and live player markets, which its sportsbook operator clients can leverage to engage customers and generate more revenue.

Moritz Gloeckler, EVP of Rights and Strategic Projects at Sportradar, said: “Our extension of the agreement with DFB is a key addition to our already strong portfolio of global soccer rights. With more than five billion soccer fans worldwide, there’s massive appetite for content. Through partnerships with FIFA, UEFA, AFC, Bundesliga, CONMEBOL and more, Sportradar is well positioned to create the next generation of tech driven products and services for clients to use to engage fans, reach new audiences and open fresh revenue opportunities.”

Kay Dammholz, Director Media Rights at DFB GmbH & Co. KG, said: “With this agreement, we are further advancing the international media rights distribution of the DFB-Pokal. Together with Sportradar, we are ensuring a professional and safe global distribution of our betting streaming rights outside the DACH region, while upholding the highest standards of integrity and unlocking additional commercial potential for our premium cup competition.”

The post Sportradar Extends its Data and Audiovisual Betting Rights Agreement with Deutscher Fussball-Bund appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Central Europe

Casino Interlaken teams up with Wazdan to bolster Swiss market presence

Published

14 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

casino-interlaken-teams-up-with-wazdan-to-bolster-swiss-market-presence

Wazdan, the results-oriented developer, has further grown its notable European presence through a partnership with Casino Interlaken, a top operator in Switzerland.

The collaboration offers players at Casino Interlaken’s StarVegas.ch online platform access to Wazdan’s dynamic slot collection, showcasing its best-selling Coins and Hot Slot series, which emphasize engaging gameplay mechanics and consistently achieve high retention rates for compliant operator partners throughout Europe.

Inaugurated in 2020 by the renowned land-based Casino Interlaken, StarVegas.ch has emerged as a prominent online provider of engaging slot games, with its collection enhanced by numerous feature-rich titles from top global suppliers.

In addition to Wazdan’s launches, players at StarVegas.ch will be presented with the studio’s engagement-enhancing features, such as Hold the Jackpot, Cash Infinity, Collect to Infinity, Sticky to Infinity and Cash Out, which consistently enhance the slot experience with innovative improvements to gameplay.

Wazdan’s newest partnership strengthens its dedication to collaborating with reputable brands in regulated markets across the globe. Players throughout Switzerland are poised to gain from an enhanced content selection by merging its top-notch portfolio with StarVegas.ch’s standing for outstanding entertainment and technical proficiency.

Radka Bacheva, Head of Sales at Wazdan, said: “StarVegas has built a strong reputation for premium entertainment, making it a fantastic platform for our vast range of titles and engagement tools. Combining the company’s strong market positioning with our rewarding experiences ensures we can deliver measurable growth and rewarding entertainment for players nationwide.”

Mayke Wolf, Chief Operating Officer at StarVegas, said: “As one of the first licensed Swiss online casinos, StarVegas offers a wide selection of games from leading international providers. Players can access the full portfolio via Starvegas.ch as well as through the StarVegas mobile apps, which are among the most popular casino apps in Switzerland. With the addition of Wazdan’s content, StarVegas further expands its portfolio with innovative titles and new gaming highlights. This step underlines StarVegas’ commitment to continuously developing its offering and providing Swiss players with a diverse and high-quality online gaming experience.”

Oliver Grimm, Chief Executive Officer at Casino Interlaken, said: “Casino Interlaken stands for personal service and Swiss quality in the heart of the Alps, values that we carry into the online space with StarVegas through a technologically advanced and trusted platform. By partnering with Wazdan, we are further enhancing our offering with innovative slot content that delivers engaging experiences for players across Switzerland.”

The post Casino Interlaken teams up with Wazdan to bolster Swiss market presence appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Central Europe

GGL Study Says Regulated Online Offerings Make Up the Majority of the Market

Published

5 days ago

March 19, 2026

Wladimir P.

ggl-study-says-regulated-online-offerings-make-up-the-majority-of-the-market

The Joint Gambling Authority of the German Federal States (GGL) has published the results of the study “Investigation of the Black Market and Channeling of Online Gambling Based on a Survey of Gamblers”. The study was commissioned by the GGL and conducted by Blockchain Research Lab gGmbH.

The study concludes that the market volume of illegal and unregulated online gambling is 22.97%. This results in a channeling rate of 77.03%, meaning that legal or regulated offerings account for more than three-quarters of the online gambling market.

“The scientifically calculated channeling rate confirms our previous assumptions about the size of the black market. The results support the fact-based regulatory approach within the framework of the 2021 Interstate Treaty on Gambling,” said Ronald Benter, CEO of GGL.

The study also confirms the methodological approach of the GGL.

The investigation also confirms the GGL’s methodological approach to analysing the black market. The study’s findings are essentially consistent with the agency’s existing knowledge.

In particular, the method of reference value-based analysis, which has been used by the countries so far and adopted by the GGL, has been scientifically assessed as suitable for estimating the size of the illegal gambling market on the Internet.

Contribution to the evaluation process of the State Treaty on Gambling

The study has already been presented to the state gambling authorities. The results will be incorporated into the ongoing evaluation process of the 2021 Interstate Treaty on Gambling.

“We are in discussions with the states regarding the extent to which the results of this study may necessitate adjustments to the legal requirements. Furthermore, we are awaiting the results of the currently ongoing study on online player protection,” said Benter.

Consistent fight against illegal online gambling

The GGL’s aim is to further reduce the share of illegal online gambling offerings. The authority pursues a holistic approach, addressing the entire value chain of illegal online gambling, from game developers and providers to payment service providers and marketing and platform structures.

“Our measures will also be reflected in market shares in the medium term. However, the fight against illegal online gambling is a marathon, not a sprint,” explains Benter.

Networking and coordinated approaches are crucial here. A key component of the strategy is therefore cooperation with legal providers and other European regulatory authorities to limit the reach of illegal operators. The GGL reiterates its appeal to legal providers to make greater use of their options to curb illegal services.

In order to be able to observe developments over time, the GGL plans to continue the survey in a suitable form.

“A reliable database is crucial for effective regulation of the gambling market. Therefore, we will continue to systematically incorporate scientific findings into our work,” said Benter.

The post GGL Study Says Regulated Online Offerings Make Up the Majority of the Market appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.