Top-rated Online gambling sites in Austria

The official name of this country is the Republic of Austria and it has a long and rich history. These days, Austria is one of the most developed countries in Europe. Its economy is booming and pretty much every sector is profitable, which is why the people living here are very stable when it comes to the financial state.

There are many things and activities that Austrians are fond of, but the one that is going to be covered is gambling. Austria is a true example of over-complicating laws and regulations when it comes to gambling regulation. The reason for that is because the law in Austria categorizes casinos and small gambling, which makes it hard for many people to understand how this activity is regulated here.

The gambling laws in this country are both provincial and national. Not only that, but the state holds a monopoly over the market, which is why it was heavily criticized by the European Court of Justice. That is also the reason why the public interest here has been focused on changing these regulations for quite some time.

Yes, gambling-related activities are legal in Austria, but they are subject to numerous restrictions. These activities are strictly regulated by the government. Proper gambling is allowed only in casinos, while small gambling is pretty much allowed everywhere.

Both land-based and online casinos are legal to operate in Austria, but they do face some restrictions when it comes to their work. The federal law that regulates these facilities is known as Glücksspielgesetz, or the Law on Games of Chance. In 2017, an addition to the law was proposed – this new addition would be able to block IP addresses to non-licensed casinos. Additionally, there are a total of 15 casino licenses and 12 of them are given to Casinos Austria.

That is the reason why the Austrian gambling market is actually a big monopoly – one company controls numerous casino games and has a total monopoly over the lottery.

The future of online casinos in Austria is really hard to see. The current problem is that the government is regulating this market too strictly and it makes it difficult for private companies to open up and offer their services to the Austrian players.

The good thing about this situation is that the regulations have been criticized by the public recently, and from what it seems, that pressure is only growing. Not only that, but the regulations have also been criticized by the European Court of Justice. All in all, there is a ton of pressure on the government to change these regulations, which is why it is possible that a new Gambling Act may be presented in the future and ease the regulations of this industry.

The new law will eventually make it easier for privately-owned companies to gain licenses and offer their services to the Austrian players. The higher level of competition will lead to better regulation, better games, and overall more benefits for both the government and Austrian players.

However, all of this is a big if, since it all depends on whether the government will combat the pressure or allow a change in the regulations. The next 2-3 years will be crucial and will determine the course of this industry.

Austrian players have numerous games that they consider as favourites. Off the top, the lottery remains a popular game as it is the first legalized gambling game in the country. Next up, sports betting is also one of the most popular activities because this type is not as strictly regulated like the other ones.

Not only that, but Austrians are huge sports fans, especially football and basketball, and when their love is combined with the fact that sports betting is not that regulated, it is easy to conclude why this game is so popular.

Online slot machines in Austria

At number 3, we have slot games. The reason why these games are so popular is that they are allowed in pretty much every corner of the country as they are labelled as small gambling games. There are several slot salons in Austria that contain up to 50 slots and the residents are more than happy to go there to play them. Not only that but when it comes to online casinos, each site has hundreds of these games and they come in various themes.

In the recent period, even Bitcoin games started to rise in popularity in Austria. The reason for that is because these games have unique gameplay and come in HD graphics. Not only that but as the name of this category suggests, they can only be played by making Bitcoin deposits. Considering the fact that Bitcoin has been sky-rocketing in value and provides tons of advantages for the users, it is easy to conclude why Austrians are so fond of this currency and the games that are available with it.

Poker in Austria

Poker is the last entry on the list. This game has had quite an interesting history with the regulations in Austria. The French Ministry of Finance declared poker as a game of chance in 2013 and was able to take control of many poker clubs. But, when it comes to online poker, there are no regulations, so players can access them whenever they want.

When Austrian players search for online casino games, they often check who is the game provider of the chosen site. They always look for reputable providers such as Playson, NetEnt, Quickspin, Evolution, Big Time Gaming, Red Tiger, and Yggdrasil. All of these game providers are known for supplying online casinos with HD games which lead to a fun, exciting, and unique gaming experience.

Austria's most preferred payment method today is credit/debit cards. They provide players with safe and fast transactions when compared to other payment methods. Deposits with credit and debit cards are instant, while withdrawals have a processing time of a few business days.

E-wallets are also used commonly. They provide players with instant deposits and withdrawals, but the problem with them is that they may charge fees for withdrawing money. Not only that but when players make deposits with e-wallets such as Skrill and Neteller, they may not be eligible to claim the casino bonuses.

The last most popular payment method is Bitcoin. This cryptocurrency’s popularity has spiked recently as it features all of the biggest benefits from both cards and e-wallets. By using Bitcoin, users can deposit and withdraw money to their account instantly. Fees are not charged for the transactions, and since Bitcoin uses cryptology to provide players with a certain level of anonymity, their security is at a very high level.

Bitcoin at Austrian casinos

Bitcoin is also the key to many Bitcoin games at some online casinos, which Austrians are very fond of.

Other popular payment methods for Austrian players are bank transfers, prepaid cards, and mobile pay. But, since the processing time and the min/max limits for deposits and withdrawals are a bit different when using these methods, they are not as popular as the once mentioned above.