Background

Austria’s governing coalition — ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS — has agreed a sweeping overhaul of the Gambling Act. The draft bill entered parliamentary consultation on, Monday 29 June 2026. Lead negotiators Andreas Ottenschläger (ÖVP), Jan Krainer (SPÖ) and Christoph Pramhofer (NEOS) call it the biggest reform of the law in 26 years. Two pillars: tougher player protection, and a ground-up rewrite of online licensing.

Timing

No formal Council of Ministers resolution is public yet. What is public: the draft amendments went into parliamentary consultation today. Next comes TRIS — the draft must be notified to the European Commission, says Vienna-based gambling lawyer Arthur Stadler, triggering a standstill of at least three months before parliament can hold a final vote. Extensions are possible.

Cooling-off / non-offering period

The bad-actor clause has three teeth: retroactive tax payment, settlement of player claims, and a non-offering period. On the last point: Under the draft, operators must clear that freeze properly: from 1 January 2027 until the licence is actually granted, they have to shut down their existing unlicensed online offering. Fail to comply, and the penalty escalates fast: any operator that doesn’t observe the cooling-off phase faces an 18-month lock-out from licensing altogether. Stadler’s math: That’s a minimum nine-month freeze, 1 January to end-September 2027 at least depending when the licenses are awarded individually. It looks like that first license might be granted to those new market entrants adopting such early blackout, timewise landing exactly after the moment when Austrian Lotteries’ win2day concession expires on 30 September 2027.

The bad-actor clause has three teeth: retroactive tax payment, settlement of player claims, and a non-offering period. On the last point: Under the draft, operators must clear that freeze properly: From 1 January 2027 until the licence is actually granted, they have to shut down their existing unlicensed online offering. Fail to comply, and the penalty escalates fast: any operator that doesn’t observe the cooling-off phase faces an 18-month lock-out from licensing altogether. Stadler’s math: the legislator has, without saying so explicitly, built in an incentive structure. The floor is a nine-month freeze — 1 January through end-September 2027 — though actual length depends on when individual licences get awarded. The likely sequencing: new entrants who front-load the blackout early position themselves first in line, with awards landing right after Austrian Lotteries’ win2day concession expires on 30 September 2027.

Contradiction

Stadler sees a basic contradiction baked into the package. “Two of the three major elements work against each other. If the Finance Ministry wants to maximise retroactive tax recovery, a mandatory blackout period hands you a tax base of zero for that exact stretch. You can’t optimise for both. Operators are left asking whether the real goal is revenue or exclusion.”

Austria as a high-tax jurisdiction

Beyond the clearance condition — and an unresolved question of whether repaid player amounts can be offset against ongoing tax liabilities — sits the headline number: a 45% GGR tax rate. That puts Austria in elite company, in the same bracket as the UK (40% from April 2026) and the Netherlands (37.8%). “It’s a top-of-the-table tax rate for a market that doesn’t even have a functioning licensed channel yet,” Stadler says. But the tax rate alone doesn’t tell the whole story, he adds. “Even at 45% GGR, whether Austria actually functions as a licensed market depends on the regulatory mix around it (player protection rules, advertising limits, deposit and stake caps, AML obligations and more). You have to look at the framework as a whole and ask whether it’s actually attractive enough for new entrants. That’s the kind of detail that decides whether the channelisation target is achievable.”

Author: Arthur Stadler | STADLER PARTNER

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Supplier to demo updates including Player Market Props and preview Queen Amber at stand P50 in London, 2–3 July.

EGT Digital will exhibit at iGB Live 2026 in London on 2–3 July, where it plans to present new casino content and Sportsbook enhancements at stand P50.

On the casino side, the company will highlight Goal Kings Bell Link, released earlier this month, which combines a football theme with its Bell Link jackpot and adds an enhanced Buy Bonus feature. EGT Digital will also offer a preview of Queen Amber, a new title scheduled for release on 9 July, featuring expanding wilds, Toppling Reels mechanics, and the Clover Chance jackpot.

EGT Digital will also demo its proprietary Bonus Hub, which it says lets operators run tournaments, Gift Spins promotions, real-time leaderboards, and other engagement mechanics across casino portfolios.

The company’s Sportsbook will be another focus, with demonstrations of recently introduced features including Player Market Props, Sports Progressive Jackpot, and Early Payouts Suite, alongside broader betting and promotional tools. EGT Digital said the Sportsbook can be deployed as a standalone solution or integrated into existing operator environments.

“Events like iGB Live are about conversations as much as they are about products,” said Tsvetomira Drumeva, Head of Sales at EGT Digital. “They give us the opportunity to connect with operators, exchange ideas, and demonstrate how our solutions continue to evolve. We are particularly excited to present Goal Kings Bell Link and give visitors an early look at Queen Amber, while also showcasing the engagement opportunities available through Bonus Hub and the latest developments across our Sportsbook and platform solutions.”

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New single-player VIP table introduces Dual Hands gameplay and a jackpot side bet paying up to 20,000x, the company said.

Pragmatic Play has expanded its premium live casino portfolio with the launch of Privé Lounge Russian Poker, adding the poker variant to its single-player VIP live environment, the company said.

In the game, players compete against the dealer and can use options including Play, Swap, Add Card, Replace, Insure, or Fold. Pragmatic Play said Russian Poker includes a Dual Hands mechanic that lets players form two ranking poker hands using either five or six cards.

The title also includes a jackpot side bet that can pay up to 20,000x, according to the company. Pragmatic Play said Privé Lounge features include dealer change requests, extended dealer sessions and configurable chat preferences.

Sharon McHugh, Director of Public Relations at Pragmatic Play, said: “Privé Lounge Russian Poker combines strategic gameplay with the exclusivity and personalisation that define the Privé Lounge experience. With dedicated single-player tables, enhanced poker mechanics and exciting jackpot potential, this latest release delivers a premium live casino experience tailored for high-value players seeking something truly distinctive.”

Pragmatic Play said the release follows recent live casino titles including Seotda Baccarat and Amazing Baccarat, and adds to its live poker offerings such as Jacks or Better Draw Poker and Casino Hold’Em.

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