Austria is a betting-friendly member state of the European Union with a population of 8.8 million and a gross domestic product of $416.6 billion. Located in Central Europe, the country is characterized by its picturesque Alpine terrain, rich history, and significant contribution to the Old Continent’s culture.
Austria’s gambling industry is thriving, with both landbased and digital betting being legal but heavily regulated in the country. Considering its mountainous terrain, it is no surprise that Austrian bettors are avid fans of winter sports such as alpine skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey, and ski jumping.
Other betting markets with a large following include soccer, tennis, and basketball. Rugby is currently a minor, yet growing sport. Motorsports are also quite popular in Austria as is horse racing.
The regulatory framework for gambling in the country is unique. Some activities like slots, commercial casino gaming, and lotteries are subject to a statewide monopoly and are stringently regulated under the country’s federal Gambling Act.
On the other hand, sports betting is not monopolized. It falls under the oversight of Austria’s nine federal provinces, collectively referred to as the Bundesländer.
Legalities of Online Sports Betting in Austria
Historical Betting Overview
Austria saw its democracy restored after the end of World War II in 1945 and reestablished its full sovereignty from the Allied forces ten years later. The country’s economy has blossomed since then which also gave a push to its betting industry.
Most traditional forms of gambling are legal and regulated by the Austrian Ministry of Finance under the Federal Gambling Act (Glücksspielgesetz, abbreviated as GSpG) that passed in November 1989. The latter does not cover sports betting, which falls within the scope of the country’s nine federal provinces.
Bookmaking shops located within the country must acquire individual licenses from the authorities of the federal provinces they operate in. Local authorities have a laxer stance on this type of gambling activity, which has led to a huge number of sports betting outlets opening shop across the country.
One unique thing about Austria is the so-called betting café. This establishment combines the relaxing atmosphere of regular coffee shops with the ability to wager on a variety of sporting events. Presently, Austria boasts over 200 of these betting cafes. Regular betting shops are also a common sight on its territory.
The landbased betting market is dominated by the locally based Admiral Sportwetten, which is responsible for the operation of more than 50 bookmaking shops across the country. It also accepts action on horse racing. Landbased bookies can apply for local licenses that allow them to run online sports betting services.
In the early 2000s, local authorities started to tighten their regulations in an attempt to reduce gambling participation rates and curb the harmful effects such activities can have on the Austrian population.
These regulations paid off causing a drop to 1.1% in problem-gambling behaviors in 2015 but further complicated the legal situation in the country. This complex legal climate, combined with the tight regulations, has driven away many foreign sports betting operators from Austria.
Odds Format in Austria
Austria-friendly sportsbooks generally support three formats of odds expression, the American moneyline, fractional and decimal odds. The latter are the most broadly preferred format by Austrian punters.
This format is the easiest to understand and work with. If one bookie offers you a price of 1.61 while another one offers odds of 1.45 for the same market, you can instantly see that the first operator provides you with more value.
Another benefit here is that you can immediately distinguish the favorites from the underdogs. The higher the decimal number, the lower the winning probability of the respective outcome.
Finally, it would be easier for you to work out your potential profits from a winning bet with decimal odds. All you have to do is multiply your initial stake by the decimal number. So if you wager €10 on Swarovski Tirol to beat LASK Linz at odds of 1.36, you are in for a potential return of €13.60.
This is your overall return, though, as your initial €10 are included. Therefore, you need to subtract your original stake to arrive at net profits of €3.60.
What You Need to Know About Sports Betting in Austria
Before you dive into betting adventures, you might want to get familiar with the sports betting regulations in Austria. Despite being a European country, its laws are far from being as stringent as the ones imposed in countries like the UK, Norway, Sweden, or Italy. Even though sports betting is a regulated gambling form in Austria, local punters can place bets at both home-based and foreign sportsbooks.
Rather than having a unified legal framework to regulate sports betting on a federal level, Austria has chosen to authorize its nine federal divisions to regulate sports betting on their respective territories. Meanwhile, other gambling forms that have been legalized in the country are regulated under the Austrian Gambling Act, with the regulatory activities falling within the Ministry of Finance’s remit.
Each of the nine provinces has its specific licensing rules and regulations, making it a bit difficult to grasp where sports betting is completely regulated. Currently, there are several local sports betting sites that have obtained licenses from Austrian provinces, allowing punters residing in the country to legally place bets on some of the most popular sports in Austria. That said, it is also possible to join an offshore sportsbook if you want to expand your betting choices and shop for better odds. One thing worth mentioning is that sportsbooks licensed by the authorities in Austria are not allowed to welcome punters from other countries.
The reason why Austrian punters can choose to bet at numerous foreign websites is that authorities within the country are still allowing access to offshore betting operators. Since such domains are not blocked by the government and punters can easily make deposits and withdrawals at foreign betting sites, this form of sports betting is still very popular among Austrian punters. Currently, there are no cases of legal actions taken against Austrian bettors who have participated in sports betting on foreign websites. This means that Austrians are free to place wagers on their favorite sports with offshore operators without worrying about any sanctions.
Austria Betting Laws and Legislation
For many years, foreign betting companies were allowed to run their operations in the country alongside domestic bookmakers. This created a confusing situation whereby locally licensed operators had to abide by Austrian laws and were taxed while many of their foreign cousins did not assume such responsibilities.
The local government started to look for ways to encourage local punters to bet on domestic gambling sites. In the autumn of 2012, the Austrian Lotto was awarded a license for online gambling as part of Casinos Austria International.
This mainly influenced casino gaming and did not have much of an effect on Austrians’ ability to make sports bets at domestic or international sportsbooks. However, many foreign sites continue to accept action from the country. They are available in the German language, work with the EUR currency, and offer local payment options like Sofort and Giropay.
In August 2018, the government started discussions on amending the Gambling Act to block the domains of offshore-licensed casino sites. This measure does not specifically concern sports bettors. The trouble is many foreign companies operate their casino and poker products via the same platform as their sportsbooks.
The amendment has only been drafted so far. If it passes, locals who were wronged by offshore operators would have the option to seek remuneration under the new rules. It also aims at consolidating the gambling monopoly and shielding Austrian operators from the foreign competition.
Austria Betting Restrictions
Under the individual regulations of the nine federal provinces (Lower and Upper Austria, Vienna, Salzburg, Burgenland, Styria, Carinthia, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg), licensing terms, regulations, and product scope vary significantly.
Each province is free to set up its own rules where sports betting is concerned. Licenses can be obtained both by natural persons and companies. License features differ in the nine Bundesländer depending on their local laws.
As a general rule, licenses can be suspended or revoked when all other forms of penalization have failed. Sports betting operators have the right to appeal the revocation of their licenses before the Regional Administrative Courts of the respective Bundesländer.
Some of the provinces like Salzburg and Vorarlberg permit betting on sports games only. In others, bets on social non-sport-related events like political elections are allowed as well. Many provinces restrict wagering on virtual sports. In Upper Austria and Salzburg, maximum stakes are restricted to the amount of €500.
Many Bundesländer have introduced measures to restrict anonymous sports betting. In such cases, the punters must own and show a personalized customer card for all wagers exceeding a specific threshold (€70 in the province of Carinthia). Vienna restricts in-play betting to end outcomes and partial outcomes only.
The betting companies are taxed at the point of consumption. A 2% levy on stakes is imposed both on landbased and online betting firms. Austrian punters themselves are not taxed on their sports betting winnings.
The local laws of some Austrian provinces require operators to provide punters with the self-exclusion option in the interest of promoting responsible gambling. Of course, the operators are supposed to restrict the access of minors to sports wagering. Only Austrians who are 18 years of age can lawfully bet on sporting events.
Most Bundesländer, including Salzburg, require online betting companies to have their servers on the respective province’s territory.
At the moment of writing, local authorities do not block the access to foreign sportsbooks’ domains. The transfer of funds is not restricted or blocked by financial institutions and payment processors, either. There are no known cases of punters being sanctioned for participating in unlicensed sports betting.
Online Betting Regulatory Body in Austria
As we previously stated, the legal situation pertaining to sports betting is rather complex in Austria because such activities are not regulated on a federal level. Instead, each of the nine federal subdivisions oversees sports wagering on a local level.
All other permitted gambling activities are subjected to the regulation of the Ministry of Finance under the Austrian Gambling Act.
In August 2019, Lower Austria, one of the nine Bundesländer, submitted a draft that aims to update the current legislation that governs sports betting on a local level, the Law on the Activities of Totalizators and Bookmakers from 1978.
The province is looking to introduce specific regulations on online sportsbooks and landbased betting terminals located in restaurants and tobacco stores. Operators who enter the Lower Austrian market can apply for licenses with two-year validity.
These licenses will enable the bookmakers to offer most forms of betting except for events that are not related to sports, like politics, for example. The legislation update also aims to ensure higher levels of protection for Austrian punters.
The licensees will not be permitted to accept stakes that exceed €350. As for in-play betting, this will be allowed but the punts will be restricted only to results at the end of a half time or a full time. Betting on the next pointscorer or goalscorer will also be possible.
Popular Betting Markets in Austria
When Austrian punters are choosing the bookmaker for their online betting endeavors, they might want to check the sports coverage first. As every nation, Austrians also have favorite sports that they will most likely enjoy betting on.
Like most European countries, Austria is also home to numerous football fans, with many of them enjoying placing bets on major football events. What may be surprising to know, however, is that the German Bundesliga is a much more popular league among Austrian punters than the local Bundesliga. Other popular football leagues favorite to many Austrian punters include Erste Liga, and international leagues like Serie A, Premier League, FIFA World Cup, and many more.
Another sport that Austrian punters enjoy to have a flutter on is Ice Hockey. As the sport is considered one of the nation’s points of pride, it is common among bettors’ favorite betting options online. Austria’s national ice hockey league is often preferred by punters but NHL, KHL, and DHL are also leagues that hockey fans in Austria enjoy.
Austrians are also big fans of handball as their national league attracts numerous spectators. The sport is also a popular betting option among a large number of virtual punters who are looking for a fun way to spend their online betting time. In addition to Handball Liga Austria, other popular leagues include Germany’s Bundesliga, Champions League, LNH, and many more.
Different wintersports are also very popular in Austria and are often preferred as a betting option by local punters. Skiing is definitely one such sport that can enjoy quite the attention of Austrian bettors, with Alpine Skiing being the most popular bet variation in many sportsbooks. Typical future bets on the sport include betting on the winner of the World Cup for men and women.
While Austria may not be the first country to pop up in your mind when you hear motorsports, it is a nation that has contributed to the sport with a number of amazing racers. This is why it is also a wonderful betting option for many Austrian bettors who are on the lookout for an exciting way to bet some money online. Every year, the country hosts the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg, Styria, which is also one of the popular betting options for Austrian punters.
Popular Betting Markets in Austria Summary | |
---|---|
Sport | League |
Football | Bundesliga, Austria Bundesliga, Erste Liga, Serie A, Premier League |
Ice Hockey | ICE Hockey League, NHL, KHL, DHL |
Handball | Handball Liga Austria, Bundesliga, Champions LEague, LNH |
Skiing | Alpine Skiing World Cup |
Motorsports | Austrian Grand Prix |
Austria Online Betting Bonuses
Austrians like to punt on international betting sites because they are attracted by the broad range of special offers and promotions available there. New customers from the country can build their sports betting bankrolls by opting in for a welcome bonus.
This is either a match on their first deposit(s) or a free bet. With a free bet, you need to sign up and contribute with a minimum bet on one of the allowed markets. The sum is usually small, either €5 or €10, but it all depends on the respective bookmaker. Sometimes you need to opt in with a valid promotional code or else they will not credit you with a bonus.
Often, there are restrictions on the markets you can use the free monies on. For example, you might be required to use the bonus on Win bets only. Restrictions apply to the minimum eligible odds as well.
The bonuses expire after a certain period so you better check how much time you are granted to use the free money and cover your rollover. Sports bonuses typically must be wagered a given number of times as stipulated in the promotional terms and conditions.
Some sportsbooks exclude payments made with given banking solutions from bonus redemption. If you are uncertain about any of the terms, you better check with the support team for clarification. Otherwise, you might violate a condition and have your bonus annulled.
Austrians who already hold accounts can redeem reload bonuses on subsequent deposits, refer friends for perks, receive cashbacks on some of their losses, and collect points via the sportsbooks’ rewards programs.
Mobile Betting in Austria
Mobile betting is easily the fastest-growing sector of the Austrian sports betting industry. All major bookmaking brands that welcome punts from the country focus on delivering a high-quality experience to smartphone and tablet users.
Some of the biggest sportsbooks provide punters with native apps suited for the iOS and Android platforms. These are available for a free download directly on their websites or via Apple’s official application store.
One of the latest trends in mobile betting is the option to access sportsbooks’ mobile portal directly via a full-sized version of the desktop website. In our opinion, this is a convenient alternative since it does not require you to waste storage space on your device.
Austria-friendly sportsbooks are highly optimized for mobile use, offering smartphone users the same features and functionalities. More often than not, you have the option to load the mobile version in German, which is especially convenient for Austrians who are not fluent in English.
You can set up the odds in the decimal format from the bet slip’s settings. Other great functionalities Austrian punters will benefit from include round-the-clock access to a quality support service, tons of betting markets, in-play wagering, and comprehensive statistics of past results. Armed with all this information, Austrian punters can make the best betting decisions on the fly.
Popular Betting Banking Methods in Austria
Austria was one of the first countries to become a member of the European Union (in 1995). It was also among the first EU member states to adopt the EUR as a national currency in 1999. Sports bettors from the Alpine country will find this currency in that cashiers of all bookmakers that accept action from Austria.
Deposits and withdrawals are commonly conducted with credit and debit cards issued by Visa and Mastercard. Most operators cover the additional costs associated with payments. Card withdrawals undergo verification when you cash out for the first time or request a larger sum.
You will have to scan the back and front of the card you used and send some copies of an identification document so that the sportsbook can see you are indeed the rightful owner of the card.
Austrian bettors who want to preserve their anonymity and sensitive card information have the option to process payments with popular e-wallets like Skrill and Neteller. There is no need to even own a card to use those but you will have to register for the service in advance.
Alternatively, punters from the country can conveniently use locally available methods like Sofort, Trustly, and Giropay. All of these methods service the Austrian market and are completely anonymous because there is no need to reveal any of your sensitive information.
These are third-party online banking platforms that operate in association with some of the biggest banks in Austria and Germany. Their platforms only serve as mediators between the punter and their bank. With that in mind, you need to have registered for online banking to use such services.
We also suggest you look up the limits on payments and bets that apply in your Austria-friendly sportsbook of choice. Some operators tailor their limits to fit the needs of casual bettors only. Others are happy to cater to professional punters as well by offering higher maximums on deposits and wagers.
Popular Banking Methods in Austria | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Payment Method | Fees | Deposit Limits | Deposit Times | Withdrawal Limits | Withdrawal Times |
Klarna | Free | Min €5/Max €5,000 per transaction | Instant | N/A | N/A |
Visa | Free | Min €5/Max €5,000 per transaction | Instant | Min €10/Max €10,000 per transaction | 3-5 business days |
Mastercard | Free | Min €5/Max €5,000 per transaction | Instant | Min €10/Max €10,000 per transaction | 3-5 business days |
Paysafecard | Free | Min €5/Max €5,000 per transaction | Instant | N/A | N/A |
Skrill | Free | Min €5/Max €5,000 per transaction | Instant | Min €10/Max €10,000 per transaction | Up to 24 hours |
Neteller | Free | Min €5/Max €5,000 per transaction | Instant | Min €10/Max €10,000 per transaction | Up to 24 hours |
MuchBetter | Free | Min €5/Max €5,000 per transaction | Instant | Min €10/Max €10,000 per transaction | Up to 24 hours |
Rapid Transfer | Free | Min €5/Max €5,000 per transaction | Instant | Min €10/Max €10,000 per transaction | Up to 24 hours |
Bank Transfer | Free | Min €5/Max €5,000 per transaction | Instant | Min €10/Max €10,000 per transaction | 1-3 business days |
What to Watch When Picking Austria Betting Site
While Austrian punters have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of variants when they pick the sportsbook to place their bets with, they need to keep in mind several things. There are a few key factors that can make or break your sports betting experience and it is important to know what to look for when you are choosing the right websites for your needs.
Although the current local regulatory bodies are not imposing any sanctions on Austrian punters who bet on foreign websites, bettors must be careful when choosing the sportsbook to join. One must do their research on the brand and its operating company as well as the licenses it has obtained.
Even if the sportsbook is not licensed by any of the nine provinces in Austria, it is advisable to pick a virtual bookie that has obtained a license by authorities like the Malta Gaming Authority or the government of Gibraltar. These are respected jurisdictions in the iGaming industry, meaning they are making sure their license holders are conducting fair and secure gambling.
Austrian punters have quite a number of supported payment options to use when they bet online. That said, they need to check the solutions accepted by the respective sportsbook as well as their minimum and maximum limits. Credit/debit cards are always a safe choice to handle your payments at interactive sportsbooks but you can also opt for e-wallets, prepaid cards, and various instant banking methods. Another thing to confirm is the speed of transactions and any fees that may incur when initiating deposits or withdrawals.
Naturally, sports coverage is also important when you select the sportsbook to bet with. Make sure all your favorite sports are available in the sports section of the website. It is also worth comparing several sportsbook options as this will allow you to pick the brand with the most competitive odds. To make your betting experience more fruitful and fun, you might also check the available promotions you can redeem. Be sure, however, to carefully read the terms and conditions that apply to each offer before you claim any sportsbook promotion.