Best Casinos In Austria

Are online casinos legal in Austria?

In Austria, there are defined laws and rules governing online gaming. They are, yet, incredibly perplexing at the same time.

The government of Austria has refused to grant licences to foreign casino operators. It, however, does not seek to prohibit these websites from operating in the nation.

Again, the Austrian government has discussed the concept of blocking ISPs. However, no action has been taken yet.

Win2day.at is the only permitted online gambling website in Austria. The Austrian lotteries and the United Austrian Gaming Licensees (CasAG) own it.

This website provides live dealer games, virtual slot machines, card games, lotteries, and sports betting. Notably, Win2day came under fire for not putting player protection measures into effect fully. These include monetary and time restrictions.

Playing at foreign casinos online is prohibited by national law. The Austrian executive, however, is more concerned with internet service providers than players.

No player has been charged, and so far, prosecution seems unlikely. Therefore, it is unsurprising that the online rivals of the Austrian licence holder, Win2day, are well known.

Win2day rivals have the advantage of widespread advertising. Despite being officially prohibited, they find a lot of players.

As an Austrian gambler, you are at liberty to play at an online casino of your choice. You don’t need to worry about the authorities arresting you.

However, because of significant tax levies and inconsistencies, there may soon be fewer online casinos accepting Austrian gamblers. That’s the bitter truth. In fact, top online casinos are leaving the Austrian market in large numbers because of this.

Top mobile casino apps in Austria

With the whole world in our pockets nowadays, it makes sense that many online casinos are now available on mobile. You can enjoy whichever game you want on any mobile gaming console. Android or iOS, there are no limitations whatsoever.

In Austria, there’s nothing different. Most offshore gambling sites are available on mobile. Some are purely browser-based, while others have downloadable apps for both Android and Apple gadgets.

For the latter, you can find these applications on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Due to Google’s stringent rules, some casinos don’t make the cut to have their apps listed on the Play Store. In that case, you can download them directly from their official website.

But there’s one problem – you will most probably find some apps replicating the original one. If you download an app different from the official one, your data and money will be at risk. That’s why you should only get the official app.

How do you do that?

By simply getting it directly from the casino’s website. Don’t use third parties. In Austria, some of the best casino apps include:

• Lala Bet
• Nine Casino

Jimi Hendrix

If you’re a rock fan, you might have heard of Jimi Hendrix, a rock legend. This game gives you the opportunity to spin the reels with the guitar master!

Released in 2016, Jimi Hendrix is a video slot with medium volatility. This shows that your winning frequency and payouts are equal.

In this game, Jimi Hendrix represents the wild and is the highest-paying symbol. He raises your likelihood of completing a lucrative combination.

The Red Guitar is also a higher-paying symbol. Landing four or more of these activates a re-spin. This will continue until there are no red guitars in sight.

Play Jimi Hendrix for free or real money at any top online casino in Austria!

Johnny Cash

If you love country music, you’ll enjoy this game. It gives you a chance to roll with the legendary Johnny Cash!

Johnny Cash is a gun-toting outlaw in this Wild West cowboy adventure. He’s looking for gold and real money.

As you play this online slot, you can hear Johnny Cash’s guitar. It creates the atmosphere and puts you in the spirit of the Wild West.

The graphics are superb. They wonderfully use colour and feature some truly enjoyable animations.

The symbols represent all the elements you would connect with the American West. These are a sheriff’s badge, cactus, firearms, and skulls. Johnny Cash is definitely a lively slot game.

Agent Destiny

Play ‘N GO’s Agent Destiny slot machine is a fun comic-style game with a lot of winning potential. Its graphics resemble that of the GTA game.

The slot has a fantastic comic-style appearance and feel. Brilliant sound effects and music immerse you immediately in action.

Premium symbols here include the agent, two women, and the scientist. A safe serves as both the regular wild and the scatter symbol. They are represented by a safe and a time bomb, respectively.

You will also encounter a Linked feature. It appears randomly on any spin giving rise to re-spins.

Agent Destiny Free Play.

Blackjack

Online slots may be the most popular casino games in Austria, but blackjack seems to excite the connoisseur. It’s an interesting game with straightforward rules. It all comes down to getting a hand of cards that adds up to 21 or closer in blackjack.

Roulette

This is an incredibly entertaining game of pure chance. Here, a ball is thrown in a spinning wheel, and you predict where it will land. Like slots, it is quick-paced and straightforward, making it one of the greatest casino games.

Sic Bo

Three die are used in this traditional Chinese gambling game. The Sic Bo table appears slightly intimidating, with some stringent rules. Nonetheless, Austrian gamblers seem to be very interested in it.

Microgaming

Founded in 1994, Microgaming is the oldest software developer. To date, this producer has been one of the most reputable ones in the sector.

Everyone can find a game they like, thanks to their extensive portfolio. They provide video slots, live dealer games, and progressive jackpots.

Play ‘N Go

One of the biggest manufacturers of casino games right now is Play’n Go. The company supports a variety of payment options, including cryptocurrency. This is just one factor contributing to the popularity of its casino games.

Other qualities include an outstanding reputation and reliable customer service. We don’t even need to speak of their top-notch games. They speak for themselves!

Evolution Gaming

Undoubtedly, Evolution Gaming is a game-changer. It has brought a breath of fresh air to the iGaming industry since its inception. Mention live casino games, and Evolution Gaming crawls right on top!

They have put in a lot of effort over the years to make sure that casinos have access to premium, innovative titles. This offers their consumers the best slot game and live show gameplay.

Most popular casino payment methods in Austria

The best Austrian casinos offer several banking solutions. This gives you the liberty to choose your preferred deposit or withdrawal method. Here are the most popular casino payment methods you’ll come across in Austrian casinos:

Neteller

In 2000, Neteller started accepting payments from online casinos. It is one of the most widely used e-wallets.

This payment option accepts credit and debit cards. It also supports bank transfers, among other methods. So, you can use these methods to fund your Neteller account.

Neteller offers its services to over 150 nations. Austria is among them. It also accepts several currencies, including the Euro.

Online casinos prefer Neteller as a payment method since it is speedy for deposits and withdrawals. To ensure secure transactions, it uses 128-bit encryption.

Some operators may offer benefits to players in Austria who use this payment option. The bonuses provided aim to boost your winnings at a Neteller casino.

EcoPayz

Through various electronic EcoPayz financial processes, EcoPayz enables you to make payments at online casinos. These include EcoVirtualcard, EcoCard, and EcoAccount.

An EcoAccount can be funded in several ways. They include bank transfers, prepaid cards, and credit and debit cards.

The Financial Conduct Authority approves EcoPayz. It employs a variety of security methods to safeguard consumer transactions.

Their primary website uses a strong 256-bit cipher and SSL encryption. The Thawte Certification Authority has verified these measures.

As technology continues to grow, EcoPayz continues to update its services. It has a 2-step verification option to safeguard your data further.

Gambling regulator in Austria

In the summer of 2010, Austria’s most current gaming law went into effect. Since then, online and brick-and-mortar casinos have been subject to rigorous rules imposed by the nation.

Everything thought to rely more on luck than skill is covered under the bill. As a result, it is bound by the country’s monopolies and licensing limitations.

Relevant authorities must classify an activity as a game based on skill or luck. This helps determine whether it falls under the purview of the Gambling Act. Even if talent is involved, any game with a high degree of luck is a “game of chance.”

The Austrian Gambling Act covers most gambling-related activities. Casinos, lotteries, slot machines, and poker are all governed by this legislation.

It enables one vendor to control the entire market. Casinos are a small exception, though. This is because limiting licensing to 15 firms rather than just one promotes an oligopoly.

Licences for both casinos and lotteries are only valid for up to 15 years. The Ministry of Finance selects the service provider to receive the subsequent monopolies after the expiry.

Notably, the Austrian Ministry of Finance oversees and issues licences to gambling sites in the country. It is also in charge of establishing whether a game is skill-based or purely random.

Each state’s local administration and its regional legislation control all wagers on their purview. It’s crucial to remember that these statutes determine the number of licences issued.

Additionally, the laws establish which regulatory agencies rule over certain markets. They state nothing about the specific bettor.

Notably, the rules forbid offshore casinos from serving Austrian residents. The penalty for this is a hefty fine. They, however, make no provision for prosecuting Austrian citizens who use foreign online casinos.

Almost half of all internet gambling in Austria is conducted through offshore casinos licensed by a different agency. The law, however, prohibits ordering Internet Service Providers to block overseas domains.

Additionally, they don’t forbid banks from handling transactions between Austrian account users and offshore casinos. However, forcing payments to unauthorised suppliers can result in fines for banks.

Gambling taxes in Austria

The government of Austria does not tax any gambler’s wins. This is one of the benefits of online gambling in this country.

However, this means that players cannot make a loss claim. You are exempted from declaring or paying taxes on your winnings after all.

Notably, the taxes from foreign casinos have brought the Austrian government astronomical profits. This came to light earlier in 2018.

Many people were perplexed by this strange news. This is because the government of Austria denied offering licences to foreign casinos.

Approximately 17 gambling operators have paid the government at least €155 million in taxes since 2011. Most online gambling sites have legal licences from countries like Malta and Gibraltar. However, they lack official authorisation from the Austrian Government to serve Austrian residents.

Of note, all internet gambling revenue has been subject to a 40% tax since 2011. This holds, regardless of whether the website has an Austrian licence.

The tax policies have drawn criticism from many large web businesses. This is because the Austrian government has no interest in granting them licences. The protests are pointless, and many operators now face harsher tax situations.

The Tax Office in Austria has recently been in touch with representatives from countries like Malta. Government representatives ask these operators to pay 40% of GGR’s back-dated taxes.

Because of this, many operators are leaving the Austrian online gambling market. It is no longer thought to be viable.

In fact, some overseas operators have abruptly ceased taking new registrations from Austria. Others have just vanished from the Austrian market.

Most popular land-based casinos in Austria

All the 12 land-based casinos feature:

• 237 gambling tables
• 785 video lottery terminals
• 2361 slot machines.

Austria gambling addiction help

Several Austrians only gamble for amusement as a pastime. Mostly, this type of social gambling is risk-free. Nevertheless, Austria conducted its first-ever comprehensive study on gaming and player protection.

The research was released in 2011. It revealed that around 64,000 Austrians aged between 14 and 65 have experienced gambling addiction.

The investigation was repeated in 2015. It confirmed that 1.1% of adult Austrians struggle with gambling addiction.

Problem gambling is a disorder that is frequently long-suppressed but is treatable. It impacts a player’s social, professional, and mental sphere.

Gambling addicts put their family life and careers in jeopardy. They accumulate enormous debts, and they lie or commit crimes to get money.

Clearly, gambling addiction is a hot topic in Austria. It’s crucial to understand its identity and how to respond to it.

Identifying a gambling problem

Problem gambling could manifest as:

• Attempting to keep gaming a secret from friends, family, or healthcare providers
• Committing theft or deception to fund gambling
• Requesting loans to gamble
• Gambling interfering with your work
• Failure to limit or cease gambling
• Gambling with more money than you can afford
• Personal relationship problems because of gambling

Problem gambling help in Austria

The government of Austria came up with the following recommendations regarding gambling addiction:

• Establishing a self-exclusion program in Austria to stop compulsive gambling. This applies to physical and virtual casinos.
• Putting preventative measures in place to ensure that loot boxes do not cause younger players to develop gambling addictions.
• Establishing guidelines for online gambling that include time restrictions, maximum bets, and maximum monthly deposits.
• Deciding on a budget for player safety and problem gambling prevention.

Aside from government intervention, several institutions in Austria offer gambling addiction solutions.

For instance, the Spielsuchthilfe Wien gambling addiction support centre in Vienna. It has long been the sole facility in Austria focusing on pathological gambling counselling and treatment.

Mr Wilhelm, a former businessman and roulette player, founded the centre in 1982. The treatment model for this institution includes:

• Psychological, social, and medical counselling
• Individual and family psychotherapy
• Group therapy for Austrian gamblers
• Group therapy referrals for Austrian gamblers seeking inpatient therapy.

You don’t have to worry about the competency of such institutions. The following team of professionals will attend to you:

• Clinical psychologists
• Psychiatrists
• Debt counsellors
• Social workers
• Psychotherapists.

Besides these institutions, you can join support groups. Loads of them exist on social media. Such support groups bring together players with problem gambling in Austria.

If you combine self-help and professional interventions, you’ll get out of addiction faster. Commendably, the best casinos in Austria have a self-exclusion option. You can use it to take a break from all gambling activities.

Final verdict

Austria is a gambling-friendly country. Its gambling laws may be complicated, but there are many possibilities for betting and gambling both offline and online.

Gamblers can play on any site they want without worrying about the authorities. This is because the government focuses on casino operators and not players.

Notably, Austrian players may find it more challenging to access gambling websites regulated outside Austria. This is because of the proposed changes to the country’s online gambling legislation.

We, therefore, advise visiting online casinos licensed by the Ministry of Finance. You will find the most recent details on Austria’s internet gambling regulations there.

Also, check out our list of the best and new online casinos in Austria. We constantly update our list. This is because of the frequent entry and exit of casinos in the Austrian gambling market.

When playing at these sites, the features will thrill you. There are many payment methods available for fast cash-out times.

You will also get to play loads of games from different developers. The best part is that you can play these games for real money or free.

More importantly, as you gamble online, remember to gamble responsibly. If, in case, you have a gambling problem, visit the Spielsuchthilfe Wien gambling addiction support centre in Vienna. Better still, you can join different support groups online.