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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Malta delayed Austria's gambling market reform
🔹Austria will not be able to adopt the new gambling reform before 7 December. The reason was objections from Malta, which submitted an official opinion on the bill to the European Commission. Because of this, the deadline for its approval was automatically extended by another month.
🔹The reform is supposed to end the monopoly on online casinos and open the Austrian market to private operators. Currently the sole local license is held by Win2Day, although Austrian players are also served by operators licensed in other EU countries, notably Malta.
🔹Under the new rules such companies would have to stop serving Austrian customers by the end of 2026 and wait for the launch of the new licensing system, scheduled for 1 October 2027. Violators could also be barred from obtaining an Austrian license for 18 months. Operators must also settle old tax debts and comply with court rulings in favor of players.
🔹As Der Standard writes, one reason for Malta's dissatisfaction may be Austria’s requirement to enforce foreign court decisions ordering refunds to players. Maltese law in some cases allows casinos not to comply with such decisions. Because of this, operators with Maltese licenses may face problems when obtaining Austrian licenses.
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