List of bookmakers in Austria

Betting in Austria

Austria, located in the heart of Central Europe, has been home to some of the most prominent figures in culture and the arts. Mozart, Schubert and Strauss made significant contributions to classical music, while everyone has seen a film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Austrians have also long been passionate about sports. Football is at the peak of fan interest, and the country’s mountainous terrain makes alpine skiing and snowboarding extremely popular as well.

As you might expect, since Austrians love sports, there’s a high probability that they love betting too. And rightly so, as they can gamble at several international and local Austrian bookmakers, betting shops and land-based casinos. Each of the nine states has regional regulations for betting sites in Austria. The newly established Austrian Gambling Regulatory Authority is required to establish a uniform set of rules so that players know they are playing in a safe environment.

History of online betting in Austria

Gambling in Austria, or rather in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, existed even before the early twentieth century as places of entertainment for the upper class. In those days, casinos were not a business or a significant source of income for the country. Consequently, there was no defined age for visiting such gambling establishments in Austria.

The first state-owned gambling establishments began to appear in the 20s of the twentieth century after the destruction of Austrian lands during the First World War. Casinos were considered an additional source of replenishment of the state treasury.

Here is a list of particularly important dates in the history of gambling in Austria:

• 1922 – issuance of the first licence to organise casinos in Salzburg.
• 1933 – the organisation of gambling is allowed throughout the country. However, the casinos were monopolised. All casinos belonged to Austrian Casino AG / Laxenburg.
• 1934 – opening of the first casino corporation in a ski resort in Austria. It is worth noting that since then most gambling establishments were opened on a similar principle: casinos were located in Austrian resorts in large hotels.
• 1938 – Austrian lands came under the control of Nazi Germany, where the legislation prohibited gambling. The only establishment that operated until 1944 was the Wien Vienna Austria Casino in Baden near Vienna. The casino did not operate until the liberation of the Austrian state from the invaders.
• After the war, Austria was divided. The western part was controlled by the United States, France and England, while the eastern part was controlled by Russia. However, even in these difficult times for the country, a dealer school was opened in Vienna in 1945.
• In 1945-1946 an attempt was made to restore some casinos. However, the casino establishment in Vienna, Austria, in the eastern part of the country, was used as a Soviet headquarters. A reopening of the casino in the Penthouse Hotel at a ski resort was also unsuccessful.
• 1950 – Foreign investors showed interest in gambling in Austria. Three casinos were opened in the western part of the state – in Bad Gastein, Salzburg and Felden.
• 1955 – the casino in Baden near Vienna resumed operations.
• In the 60s, the development of casinos in Austria gained new momentum. Casinos appeared in major resort areas of the country. The occupation was left behind, and the government tried to make the most of the organisation of gambling. It was decided to monopolise all existing gambling establishments.
• 1967 – opening of the company recognised as a monopolist – Casino Austria (Österreichische Spielbanken AG). Unlike the previous corporation, the new Casino Austria is owned by Austrians, and 70% of casino shares are owned by the authorities.

Since the creation of the monopoly Casino Austria to this day remains the main provider of gambling in land-based casinos. The company successfully broke the tradition of organising gambling only in resort areas. Having opened casinos in major Austrian cities, the corporation moved to a new stage of development, entering the international market. First – Europe, then – the world.

Today Casinos Austria AG gave rise to a new corporation – Casinos Austria Group. The new holding company is the owner of:

• 34% of the shares of Austrian lotteries;
• Casino Austria AG;
• Casino Austria International;
• Casino Austria Security Technologies – a company working in the field of security and transparency in casino software development. betting companies and online casinos.

Key factors when choosing a bookmaker

Deposit and withdrawal options are one of the key factors that new players in the Austria consider when choosing a bookmaker. But they are far from the only ones. Our research shows that below are the five most important factors Austria punters consider when choosing an online betting site:

1. Secure transactions
2. A trustworthy reputation,
3. Free, easy and fast transactions,
4. Favourable / generous bonuses
5. Wide range of sports to bet on

Just like deposit and withdrawal options, the legal environment also affects which sports you can bet on.
Online betting sites tend to offer a wider selection of sports than retail bookmakers. Before choosing a bookmaker, look at what sports they offer, how in-depth they cover each one, whether they have the types of bets you want to place, and how their odds compare to the competition.

When it comes to reputation, don’t stop at word of mouth. Read our detailed bookmaker reviews and search the various sites on the AustriaGC’s public register. As mentioned above, the AustriaGC tracks all sanctions imposed against betting sites and keeps detailed records of complaints filed against them.
Finally, when comparing bonuses, current legislation requires betting sites to state all applicable terms and conditions. You are required to read the fine print. If you believe that a bonus was misleading or that a bookmaker has falsely advertised an offer, you can make a complaint to the AustriaGC.

How popular is sports betting in Austria?

Sports betting in Austria is popular and widespread, with major cities such as Vienna, Graz and Salzburg leading the way in terms of the number of betting shops and betting activity. The sports most commonly bet on in Austria include:

1. Football: This is the most popular sport to bet on among Austrians, especially betting on national league matches and European competitions.
2. Skiing: Given Austria’s geographical location and its tradition in winter sports, betting on skiing events is also popular, especially during major international competitions.
3. Tennis: Tennis betting has a significant market share, partly due to the success of Austrian players on the international stage.
4. Formula 1: The Austrian Grand Prix and other races in the series attract the attention of motorsport betting enthusiasts.

Betting is accepted in both offline and online modes. Online betting is particularly popular due to its convenience and accessibility, allowing betting from anywhere in the country. Betting regulation in Austria is relatively liberal, which favours the development of the betting market.

How betting is regulated in Austria

The organisation of gambling in Austria is regulated by the Austrian Gambling Act (Glücksspielgesetz), which has been in force since 1989. The law is designed to control the quality and safety of gambling entertainment services on the one hand, and to increase tax revenues to the state treasury on the other. State intervention in the organisation of gambling is justified by the desire to protect players in order to prevent the development of gambling addiction.

In the list of control objectives, the state authorities have identified:

1. prevention of the development of organised crime through the profits from gambling establishments;
2. prevention of fraud, illegal organisations carrying out illegal money transactions and enriching themselves at the expense of people addicted to gambling;
3. protecting consumers and young people from problem gambling.

Gambling services are regulated by both state and federal authorities. The nuances of gambling organisation may differ from one federal state to another in the country. Licences for different types of gambling activities are issued by government representatives and Casino Austria Group Corporation. Advertising of gambling establishments and organisation of charitable gambling events are dealt with separately. The main authority dealing with gambling services is the Austrian Ministry of Finance. So, answering the question whether gambling is legal in Austria – it definitely is.

? Country	Austria
? Currency	Euro
⚽ Popular Sports	Football, Tennis, Cybersport, Skiing, Formula1
? Most Popular Payment Methods	Visa, MasterCard, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafecard and ++

Top 5 casino sites in Austria

1xbet

Today, the global bookmaker 1xBet is the leader in the gambling industry and the best choice for sports betting enthusiasts. We are proud of the biggest international gambling awards, the trust of our partners and the recognition of our peers. Most Innovative Affiliate Programme (2019), Cybersports Operator of the Year (2020), Best Sports Betting Platform (2020), Best Live Casino and Innovator of the Year (2023) are all about 1xBet. Just a little bit more, and we’ll have more awards than Disney’s Oscars.

The 1xBet team truly loves sport and has worked hard to become an official partner of FC Barcelona, PSG, FC Lille, La Liga, Serie A and many other world-renowned sports clubs and organisations. And we were one of the first in the industry to recognise the potential of computer games. Today, 1xBet actively cooperates with ESL, OG Esports, Team Spirit, Tundra Esports, MIBR, K23 and WePlay, offering fans extensive betting lines on all popular cyber sports disciplines.

Mostbet

The betting lineup at BC Mostbet is quite good, but not the biggest selection. Here you can find almost all major leagues and championships of many countries. However, compared to other bookmakers, the Mostbet line is not so detailed. You are offered the most popular sports such as football, hockey, basketball and volleyball. At the same time, more exotic sports such as rugby, snooker, badminton, water polo and others are also available.

Special attention is paid to cyber sports. You can bet on games such as Dota 2, Star Craft 2, League of Legends and CS:GO. Many matches are broadcast in real time. However, to watch these broadcasts, you need to register and top up your account.

Betting odds at BC Mostbet

The odds at BC Mostbet offer a variety of values, ranging from high to low. For the most popular games, the odds range from 1.5% to 5%, while for lesser known football matches they can be as high as 8%. The lowest odds are found in hockey matches of the lower leagues.

The official website of the bookmaker Mostbet

The official website of the company is made in traditional white and blue colours. Accordingly, the design of Mostbet cannot be called too flashy, which on the contrary attracts the target audience. It is important for players to concentrate on the process, without being distracted by information that is not particularly useful.

GGbet

In the dynamic world of online betting, GG.Bet stands out as a comprehensive platform that caters to both cyber sports fans and punters betting on traditional sports. This Ggbet review outlines how it suits those looking for a simple and secure way to bet.

With a focus on providing a wide range of betting markets, GG.Bet offers in-depth coverage of major cyber sports games and traditional sporting events. This GG Bet review looks at the platform’s features, assesses whether GG Bet is legal, and explores the variety of services it provides to a global audience, including over 30 cyber sports disciplines, responsive customer support, a variety of payment methods, and a robust mobile betting environment.

Zodiacbet

Zodiacbet bookmaker offers over 15,000 live bets every month with a total payout of 93%. There are more than 60 football markets such as “Next Team” and “Last To Score”. In basketball and tennis, the margins go up to 8-9% and punters can find more than 20 lines.

Some betting features are also present. Players can use withdrawals, but only full withdrawals; Partial and automatic withdrawals are not supported. In addition, the multi-view option allows users to follow more than one game live. Some other important features such as bet editing, bet constructor and quick markets are missing. The wagering acceptance during in-play wagering is 3′.

More information

Zodiacbet also pays attention to many other details that can improve the user experience. The website is easy to navigate with a smartphone, but there is no proprietary bookmaker app. The customer support team can be contacted 24/7, in multiple languages, via email, chat and phone. Feel free to contact them if you have any problems, especially with the Zodiacbet bonus code.

Players placing bets can choose from various payment methods such as VISA, Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller and Trustly. This is one of the Giropay bookmakers for players using this method. The first withdrawal is free of charge, while Zodiacbet is allowed to add a 3% commission for any request for additional payouts during the month. Each deposit must be transferred 5 times before it can be withdrawn. The winning limit is €100,000 per day and the maximum withdrawal per week is €5,000.

BCgame

BC.Game is one of the best cryptocurrency gambling platforms in the US. The award-winning bookmaker was launched in 2018 and is considered one of the first bitcoin gambling sites in British Columbia.Game has won several awards over the years, such as AIBC Blockchain Gaming platform of the year and Sigma Award Crypto Casino of the year.

Not only does the bookmaker offer an extensive online casino, but also very impressive bookmakers.

You can bet on over 17 sports listed on their website. Although they don’t have as many sporting events as most sports betting sites, you will still find popular events on the BC Game platform. They feature sports such as:

• Football
• Tennis
• Basketball
• American Football
• Cricket
• Ice Hockey
• Volleyball
• Handball
• Table tennis
• Golf
• Cycling
• Water polo
• Motorbike racing
• Virtual sports
• Cybersports