Home » Best online casinos in Austria (2021)

Best online casinos in Austria (2021)

Austria is a relatively small country in central Europe, but it has a huge gambling tradition and many casino enthusiasts. Online gambling is a grey area, which means that your options are not limited to land-based monopoly operator “Casinos Austria” or the online Win2Day. Many international brands accept Austrian players, but they are not regulated within the country. So the risk of bumping into a scam site always exists. So, we brought together the most reliable casinos offering appealing welcome bonuses, provide Sofort and EPS payments, and have obtained licenses from reputable authorities. Thus, it will be easier for you to choose the online casino in Austria that fits your needs. 

Best Austrian online casino bonuses

The following list combines our selections with first-rate bonuses featured in Austrian online casinos. Among them, you will discover attractive welcome packages and weekly promos, along with an average of 1000+ slots from top-notch providers. Plus, you will find a wide array of table games and fast payouts.

What bonus types do casino sites in Austria offer

Provided that you will have selected a casino that fits you, it’s about time to profit from the various bonus offers at your disposal. Except for generous welcome packages, you can redeem weekly reload bonuses (usually they vary from 50-75% of your deposit), daily promos, free spins, cashback bonuses, tournament trophies, and loyalty bonuses depending on your activity. The sure thing is that you need to read each time the offers’ T&Cs to opt-in and be aware of their wagering requirements.

Welcome Bonus

As a new player, you can enjoy an attractive welcome bonus that almost every online casino offers. Each one of them has a different sign-up offer as a way to be competitive. A typical package combines a matched bonus and even free spins (i.e. 200% bonus up to €500 + 150 free spins) or a no deposit cashable bonus. Consider that you’ll meet wagering requirements to cash out the amount (e.g., deposit + bonus x35) and that a few payment methods are excluded from redeeming the respective bonus.

No deposit bonuses

When trying a new online casino, first-time no deposit bonus casino Austria deals are a special treat for newcomers and even existing players. You will notice that many operators offer no deposit bonus codes to give you up to €20. Even though it sounds too good to be true, you can play with real money on slots without depositing any cash of your own, and the rollover varies between 30 to 50 times the amount of it.

No deposit free spins

Suppose you are not really into cashable bonuses. In that case, you will be happy to know that the average casino in Austria online alternatively offers no deposit free spins, which are widely popular among Austrian players. Usually, you can get about 50-100 free spins without any funding requirements in the newest slots upon registration. You simply can’t go wrong with them. In this situation, you can expect wagering requirements (e.g. 20x – 30x times rollover), but they are relatively lower than those of the no cashable deposit bonuses.

How we rate the best online casinos Austria has to offer

If you’ve been wondering about the features that we distinguished among the best online casinos in Austria and how we rate the most important ones, you might want to stay with us. Find out why you can opt for them instead of the land-based casinos, as we will share them with you below.

Reliability & Transparency

The Austrian government doesn’t behave strictly to online casinos that have acquired a license from reputable gambling authorities such as the UKGC or MGA. Even though international casinos cannot obtain a local license from the Ministry of Finance, which is responsible for regulating domestic gambling, they still have to pay taxes to the federal government. Thus,  players can easily benefit from it and choose an online casino in Austria to provide an excellent product for safety and reliability with data protection mechanisms and proper KYC procedures. So, choose casinos that come along with the requirements mentioned above.

Wide variety of slots and games

We should point out that Austria’s best online casino sites offer a wide array of slots and table games. Given that you choose a casino from our selection, you can confirm that most of them provide more than 1000+ slots and some of them with progressive jackpots. Additionally, you can enjoy about 15-25 real dealer tables, with blackjack, roulette, poker, baccarat, and bingo being the most popular games among players.

Slots by top software providers

Needless to say that in the best online casinos in Austria, players can enjoy titles offered by top-level software providers with years of experience in the field, such as the Austrian Novomatic, Microgaming, NetEnt, Evolution and Play’n Go. Independent agencies like GLI or TST test their slots and tables. This way, you can ensure that you will enjoy titles in casinos that are not rigged.

German language

Besides the local Win2Day, it is pretty standard for a casino online in Austria to feature the German language on its website and customer support. Some even provide the local Austrian-German dialect, making the players’ lives easier and improving their daily fun and experience.

Good mobile interface

As more people are getting into gambling and technology emerges, mobile apps are more popular than ever. Therefore, many online casinos from our list offer well-organized mobile platforms or apps. You can enter games and slots with three clicks on your device – all that from the comfort of your home.

We may have covered the most important aspects we picked out among the Austrian online casinos. Still, it is essential to stress how they operate within the current legal framework. Before establishing a new regulatory body in the country, you need to know which sites you can trust and put your money on.

How the Austrian casino sites operate

Land-based gambling in Austria has been heavily regulated since 1989 with the Gambling Act that declared it legal. Since then, 16 amendments have been voted, with the one of 2020 being the most recent. The Ministry of Finance is currently the country’s gambling regulator responsible for issuing licenses and planning the inauguration of a new supervisory authority until the end of 2021. The regulation in place right now only allows operators physically located to apply for a license. Even those who acquire a license can only serve Austrian citizens and not expats who usually opt for international online brands.

Currently, there is a monopoly on land-based gambling. Casinos Austria International has obtained 12 out of the 15 available licenses issued by the Ministry of Finance and operates casinos throughout the country. It has also procured the online platform Win2Day that offers lottery tickets, bingo, sports betting, poker, and casino games. The established regulation makes it almost impossible for international sites to get a local casino license. However, the Austrian government has set a 40% GGR tax οn international casinos that still take Austrian players. So, provided that you are 18 or above, you are free to opt for any casino in Austria online with an accredited operating license that fits your needs.

Will Austrian players get affected by the future law change?

According to the country’s finance minister, the new supervisory authority will be formed by the end of 2021. It will change several aspects of the gambling sector, such as new player protection controls and new transparency requirements. The future regulator will be tasked with establishing a national self-exclusion system covering online and land-based gambling. It will also be expected to engage in activity against any unlicensed online casino in Austria and order ISPs to block access to these sites.

A blacklist will also be created as part of this process. Furthermore, the government will raise taxes on the industry to ensure that every casino in Austria, both online and land-based, will prevent and treat gambling problems. So, until the changes mentioned above occur, players can entirely benefit from the current loose conditions.

Are online casinos in Austria safe?

At the moment, there is an abundance of offshore casinos operating in Austria unhindered, and indeed, not all of them are safe. The Ministry of Finance hasn’t taken the proper measures to block scam sites, and there is always a high risk for players. Therefore, players need to stick to sites that are licensed by well-established gambling authorities, such as UKGC or MGA, which is always an indication of safety. The top online casinos in Austria use reliable software and disclose the slots RTP. Moreover, since the Austrian government hasn’t yet included offshore online casinos in the regulatory framework, all winnings deriving from them are tax-free.

How to deposit at Austrian online casinos

Almost every online casino in Austria offers a wide variety of payment methods to fund your account. A popular one among Austrian players is the instant banking system EPS which all Austrian banks support and it’s the fastest way to complete transactions. The following main choices are credit/debit cards and e-wallets, mostly Klarna, PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller. When it comes to mobile payments, Austrians usually prefer Mobiamo and Apple Pay (which operates within 2 local banks Erste Sparkasse and N26), and in fewer cases, cryptos, which have lately also risen to prominence, especially within grey bookies.

Is it worth playing on Austrian online casinos?

The current gambling environment favors Austrian players as they can play in reputable brands without fear of prosecution from the government. However, since it doesn’t have the means to blacklist the shady sites, choosing a casino with a distinguished license is very important. By choosing one of the best online casinos in Austria, you can rest assured that the slots and games variety will be wider than the local ones. Suffice it to say, the two biggest Austrian casinos in Bregenz and Vienna have less than 600 slots combined, whereas international sites offer more than 1000+ slots each and 20+ table games. They have brought the bonus diversity to a whole new level, and you can keep the entire amount of your winnings as they are unregulated and tax-free. Last but not least, all these features are available to you without leaving the comfort of your home.

FAQ

1. Is online gambling legal in Austria?

Online gambling is considered legal in Austria. Players can either play in licensed online casino Win2Day or opt for international online casinos in Austria that even though they haven’t obtained a local license, they accept Austrian players.

2. Are gambling winnings taxable in Austria?

Even though the Austrian government has set a 40% GGR tax on offshore casinos that operate in a different country under well-established licenses, players can enjoy a tax-free gambling environment. They can keep the whole amount of their winnings.

3. How many casinos are there in the country?

There are currently 12 casinos in Austria, all run by “Casinos Austria International,” which holds 12 out of 15 exclusive licenses to operate in the country.

4. What is the legal gambling age for Austrian players?

The legal gambling age for Austrian players to participate in lotteries, casino games, or sports betting is 18 years old.

5. Are there any German-speaking online casino sites?

It is quite common for an online casino in Austria to feature the German language as an option on its website and the customer support. Online gambling is not considered illegal, and the Ministry of Finance doesn’t have any objections.

6. Is online poker legal in Austria?

Current regulations permit Austrian-based online gambling, subject to licensing restrictions, including companies that may only offer games to Austrian residents. Nonetheless, all players can easily opt for international sites and enjoy poker without any fear.

7. Do Austrian online casinos offer bonuses?

By selecting your favorite casino in Austria online, you can expect to profit from generous welcome packages. Weekly reload bonuses, daily promos, free spins, cashback bonuses, tournament trophies, and loyalty bonuses are the most common depending on your activity.

8. Can I play online casino on my mobile phone?

Of course, you can. Many online casinos from our list offer well-organized mobile platforms and apps so that you can enter any game or slot without more than three clicks on your device.

9. What acts regulate gambling in Austria?

Gambling in Austria has been heavily regulated since 1989 with the vote on the Gambling Act, which declared the Games of Chance legal. Since then, 16 amendments have been voted, with the one of 2020 being the most recent. The Ministry of Finance is the official regulator of Austria responsible for issuing licenses and supervising all gambling entities within the country.

10. What deposit methods can I use for online gambling?

In Austria, any casino online offers a wide array of payment options for your convenience. Debit/credit cards, instant banking services like EPS, and e-wallets are the safest and fastest ways to fund your account quickly and safely.