New Draft Law on Gambling in the Works after Last Ones Failure

Casino Austria chief, Karl Stoss, has called for stricter control on gambling and gambling institutions in Austria. Small-bet game machines recently gained popularity in Austria. Many more were put into use due to the high level of demand.

This chain reaction has, unfortunately, led the chief wanting to check the (up to this point) uncontrolled growth that has been happening. Stoss declared that out of the estimated 18,000 to 20,000 small gambling machines in operation in the country, 8,000 of them are legal. The legality of these machines is based on their location.

Gambling machines in four provinces, Vienna, Lower Austria, Styria and Carinthia; are in fact legal as Austrian gambling law permits them in those territories. The remaining gambling machines in the country are either labeled as games of skill, which are also permitted, or operated in concessions from the above mentioned four provinces.

What Stoss is hoping for is a federal regulator of the small gambling machines so that the finance ministry can determine what their turnover is and their owners accordingly. Stoss claims the failure of such measures to be taken is due to provincial government’s fear of losing business and revenue that they receive from the machines.

The State Secretary for Finance of the People’s Party, Reinhold Lopatka, a new draft for the regulations that Stoss is hoping for is being written up. The federal government will not want to miss out on the revenue that it can raise through the suddenly booming business and, chances are, taxes and regulations will come into action.

Internet gambling in Austria is another story entirely. Online gambling is already well regulated, but very successful. Austria has been home to many online casinos and betting sites, such as bwin, for quite some time. Many online gambling sites in Austria, are even licensed there, but this case comes with a small stipulation.

Online casinos that are licensed in Austria are only allowed to accept Austrian players. Due to this rule, there are a few Austrian gambling sites based offshore. Austrians are currently free to use any online casino that they wish.