Austria Gambling Authority

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Gambling is becoming increasingly popular in Austria today, even though the Austrian government has been trying counteracting gambling for some years now. Nevertheless, casinos, casinos and slot machines are as popular as sportsbooks and online casinos.

Australian Prudential Regulation Authority: Austria: National Bank of the Republic of Austria Austrian Financial Market Authority: Azerbaijan: The Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan: B: Bahamas: Central Bank of The Bahamas: Bahrain: Central Bank of Bahrain: Bangladesh: Bangladesh Bank: Barbados: Central Bank of Barbados: Belarus. Austria’s first two casinos opened in 1934, in Semmering and in Baden. At present, there are 12 casinos, all operated under the state monopoly company Casinos Austria AG. All gambling operators pay 20% VAT tax on their operating expenditure. The Austrian license stipulates a 1.5% tax on the turnover. Get prayer times in Gaming. Calculate Islamic namaz timing in Gaming, Austria for Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha.-Islamisches Zentrum Wien.

Gambling in Austria, as in many other countries, has a rich history and is certainly not a new phenomenon. Already in the Middle Ages, people from the nobility to the common peasant played for money and objects. From dice games to the first beginnings of a card game. Even famous people supported and indulged in gambling, for example, Mozart was said to have regularly been involved in betting. Archduchess Maria Theresa also invested large sums of money in a series of gambling games in the 18th century. Let's take a closer look at the history of gambling in Austria:

Gambling - entertainment for the people

Gambling in Austria was already popular in the 17th century. The members of lower social strata, farmers or craftsmen, liked to spend their free time enjoying ball and dice games. On public holidays or fairs, public places were filled with people who either participated in gambling — stakes or no — or watched them.

Austria Gambling Authority Meaning

However, with increasing popularity, gambling came into the rulers' field of vision. To counter unregulated gambling, Leopold I, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, imposed a law in 1696, according to which all illegal gambling could be prosecuted. This law became the first Austrian gambling law. It was the beginning of a constant back-and-forth that would last for centuries - to the present day.

The state has a look.

But, of course, the powerful had also realized the people were entertained with gambling. And so the first licenses for organizing games of chance were issued - directly from the Viennese court. The licenses at that time usually referred to card and dice games, ball games were out of fashion. So there was a first privatization of gambling in Austria.

Nevertheless, gambling at that time was still regarded as a pastime of the rabble and common people and was accordingly frowned upon and despised by the nobility. That shook the poor luck knights but little. Especially in the capital city of Vienna, virtually in the immediate vicinity of the Habsburgs, gambling was never done without an end in sight.

A game in honor...

At the beginning of the 18th century, the nobility began paying more tribute to gambling. The richer classes also joined this trend. True to the motto: 'A card game in honor, nobody can deny.' Some card games were considered quite civilized and elegant - the crucial qualities for everything that was worthy of the nobility and higher layers worth.

With the advance of gambling in the nobility, the further course of history was written. Now that all members of society found joy in gambling, it made its way through the country: even beyond Vienna or Salzburg, they began to get to know and discover the old card and dice games more and more. In addition, regional variations were invented. Various types of card and dice games and combinations of these were created, the first board games soon followed.

The Viennese court, while he was content to only grant licenses about a century ago, indulged himself in gambling. Heaven-high tournaments became more and more regulars until they became an integral part of cultural life. This development was fueled by the active participation in those events by Archduchess Maria Theresa herself. The Regent's budget was of course quite large and so she did not hesitate to play high stakes.

The state earns

With the increasing commercialization and popularity of gambling in Vienna, it was no longer possible to deny the idea of earning in ways other than gambling. Entry fees and initially manageable profit taxes were imposed. In addition, previously illegal gambling variants were legalized and organized under state supervision. Here, too, plenty of profits flowed into the treasury.

Participation in such tournaments was considered a privilege and was therefore highly sought after in wealthy circles. The positive effect: Even cultural sites such as the Hofburgtheater in Vienna were saved by gambling revenue from the final bankruptcy. Likewise, the infrastructure and security of citizens were promoted with gambling winnings. Finally, the first state lottery was introduced, which was used for the partial financing of the state budget.

Austria Gambling Authority Act

A turbulent 20th century

In the 20th century, there were many innovations for gamblers of the Alpine republic. Thus, in 1913, the first class lottery was introduced, which has survived to this day and in which perhaps you too have already tried your luck.

1934 was the year of the first casinos and casinos opened at Semmering and in Baden near Vienna. But luck — to stay in the picture — did not last long: as early as 1938, it was called ne va plus and the operation of all casinos, except for those in Baden, was prohibited. However, with the Second World War, the company was also, understandably, set here. After the end of the war, the ornate building initially served as the headquarters of the Russian occupiers. Only in the mid-1950s, the game operation was resumed. After further renovations, the Casino Baden was in the 1990s, finally, the largest casino in the whole of Europe and a mecca for friends of well-kept gambling. Meanwhile, Casinos Austria AG operates 12 casinos in Austria, including of course the house in Baden.

Online gambling has also established itself in Austria since the turn of the millennium. With roulette online, gamblers in the Alpine republic have access to a portal where they can play lotto and Toto games but can also win poker or other virtual casino games with much luck and a little bit of skill.

The main objective of the policy on games of chance is to regulate and control games of chance, with a particular emphasis on counteracting gambling addiction, protecting consumers and preventing unlawfulness and crime.

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Regulatory policy objectives are as follows:

Authority
  • Prevention of organised crime (e.g. money laundering, financing of terrorism and other illegal activities)
  • Prevention of consequential crime (theft, burglary, fraud) committed by gambling addicts
  • Youth protection
  • Consumer protection
  • Financial market stability (pyramid schemes)

Gambling in Austria

Gambling, casinos and lotteries are regulated by the Law on Games of Chance (GSpG) and fall within the remit of the Ministry of Finance. Furthermore the Ministry of Finance is the responsible authority for the supervision of licensed companies. The gambling law also determines which games are considered games of chance, among others. The few exceptions from this monopoly (certain betting activities, games of chance with low stakes and games of skill) are then in part regulated by the Federal States of Austria and their different regional laws.

A cross-border supply of gambling activities is not allowed. Gambling activities, e.g. via electronic media (Internet) offered internationally, are also subject to the national gambling monopoly and may not be advertised or executed within Austria. Interventions into the monopoly are punishable by civil law or administrative penalty regulations of the gambling law.

Traditional Sports Betting Services fall within the remit of the Federal States of Austria (regional governments).

The “Österreichische LotterienGmbH” is licensed to offer Lotto, Toto, Goal Betting, Letter Lottery and Scratch Cards as well as Electronic Lotteries via the Internet and via Video Lottery Terminals.

The “Casinos Austria AG” operates twelve casinos in Austria and offers various table games and slots.

Austria Gambling Authority Definition

Gambling Protection Measures

With effect from 1 December 2010, under the terms of Section 1 (4) of the Gambling Act (GSpG), a Staff Unit was established at the Federal Ministry of Finance for preventing addiction and offering addiction advice (Staff Unit for Addiction Prevention and Counselling). This Staff Unit is dedicated to highlighting the importance of gambling protection and preventive measures under Austrian gambling law and also provides technical support to the Austrian Gambling Regulatory Authority.

The objectives of the Staff Unit for Addiction Prevention and Counselling are the following:

  • Creation of an improved data inventory relating to treatment and advice for patients through gambling addiction facilities in Austria;
  • Support for gambling addiction research;
  • Educating and informing people of the risks involved in gambling;
  • Better coordination of the work of the individual gambling protection facilities;
  • Generating and presenting best-practice models of collaboration between gambling licence and permit holders and independent gambling protection facilities;
  • Generation of common quality standards for approval of gambling protection facilities within the meaning of the Gambling Act as well as generation of an approval procedure for such gambling protection facilities.
  • Evaluation of the 2010 Gambling Act Amendment in 2014;
  • Technical assessment of gambling protection concepts of federal licence holders.
  • In addition, the Staff Unit for Addiction Prevention and Counselling seeks collaboration with those other federal ministries and provinces which continue to share responsibility for gambling protection.

Unit for Addiction Prevention and Counselling
Hintere Zollamtsstraße 2b, A-1030 Vienna
E-Mail: post.spielerschutz@bmf.gv.at