The fresh regulations for Austria's gambling business were before the country's legislature this week for a further revision.
It is widely expected that there will be further changes to the draft proposals, which would see a concentration of the AWP business into fewer hands but in more of the country’s provinces than before.
All of the Austrian states have an opt-out clause in the draft regulations which would not necessarily mean a broadening of the industry’s street market base. It is expected within the industry that the restricting of the number of operating licences will mean little growth overall but a market which may be easier to control. Responsible gaming policies will figure strongly in the final regulation, policed through the necessity of having all machines online.
