Austrian Casinos Request Local Gaming Permits: Will the Monopoly Endure?
Casinos Austria AG plans to prolong its current concessions to keep giving both online and offline gambling opportunities in Austria beyond the years 2027 and 2030. The company displays confidence in being granted the contract once more and preserving its monopoly status.
Several licences up for renewal
The lengthy procedure for obtaining Austrian gaming licenses has commenced, as revealed by the Salzburger Nachrichten. Not surprisingly, Casinos Austria AG has applied for an extension of the current licences and intends to maintain its unchallenged position.
Casinos Austria oversees six establishments in significant Austrian cities, whose licences need to be renewed in 2027. The licences for the six casinos in remote rural tourist areas expire in 2030; yet, the application process for these has also started.
Along with a subsidiary, Casinos Austria operates the Austrian lottery, which is legally the only web-based casino system win2day, and frameworks for land-based slot machines under the WINWIN brand. A renewal of the licence, scheduled to expire in 2027, is also vital for these services.
Why should Casinos Austria continue to get the license?
In an official statement, Erwin van Lambaart, the CEO of Casinos Austria AG, stated various reasons why the company should continue to possess the concessions:
"We're the best partner for Austria and its populace in managing gambling operations. We have excelled at this for numerous decades and aim to continue in the same responsible and reliable fashion with substantial investments and groundbreaking innovations in the coming years. We're eager and prepared for this - Erwin van Lambaart, CEO of Casinos Austria AG, Source: Casinos Austria AG
Furthermore, Prof. Dr. Christian Helmenstein supported the claims made by the management of Casinos Austria's employ with specific illustrations from a recent Economica study.
The report indicated that the total gross value added from the group of companies totaled €632.3 million in 2022. In total, the added value reached more than €1 billion. Casinos Austria AG also generates employment, promotes sports, and participates in social initiatives.
Is Casinos Austria facing any real competition?
Recent discussions have centered around overhauling the system of awarding gambling licences. However, the coalition partners haven't been able to reach a consensus, ensuring that the traditional one concession-holder per licence system remains in place.
At this moment, it's not clear if other companies have applied for the Austria's licences. In Lower Saxony, the Merkur Group (formerly: Gauselmann Group) achieved success against Casinos Austria in the award process.
It'll be intriguing to find out if other firms are attempting to get one or more concessions, looking to undermine the undisputed monopoly position in Austria.
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Source: www.onlinecasinosdeutschland.com
