About half of all people in Austria gamble for money at least once a year — from a lottery ticket to a sports bet. For most, it stays a harmless pastime. For others, it gradually turns into a loss of control with serious financial, family, and health consequences. Because online gambling and sports betting have become so easy to access, 2026 is also a year of major policy change: Austria is getting a new gambling law that opens up the online market while significantly tightening player protection. This article explains how to recognize early signs of gambling addiction, what's changing in 2026/2027, and where you can get support — anonymously and, in most cases, free of charge.

What is gambling addiction?

Pathological gambling is recognized as a distinct medical condition (ICD-10: F63.0, classified as an impulse-control disorder). What matters is not how much money someone stakes or how often they play, but the increasing loss of control: gambling gradually comes to dominate a person's life, at the expense of social, professional, and financial wellbeing — even when the person is aware of the harm being done.

This can affect classic forms of gambling such as slot machines, casino games, or lottery, as well as sports betting and online gambling. Online offerings in particular are considered especially high-risk, because they are available around the clock, bets can be repeated much faster, and the threshold to start playing is lower than in a physical casino or arcade.

Warning signs: when does gambling become a problem?

Specialized counseling services use a catalogue of typical warning signs. The more of these apply, the more important it is to seek support early:

  • Preoccupation: constantly thinking about the next game or bet, even outside actual playing time.

  • Loss of control: repeated failed attempts to cut back or stop altogether.

  • Tolerance: needing increasingly higher stakes to get the same thrill or excitement.

  • "Chasing losses": trying to win back losses with even higher bets — a key warning sign.

  • Restlessness or irritability when gambling is restricted or interrupted.

  • Concealment and lying to family, partners, or employers about the extent of gambling or debt.

  • Borrowing money or taking on debt to keep gambling or to cover existing gambling debts.

  • Jeopardizing relationships, a job, or education because of gambling behavior.

If several of these apply to you or someone close to you, that's not a reason for shame — it's a good reason to seek professional help, ideally before the financial and social situation gets worse.

How common is gambling addiction in Austria?

The current Epidemiologiebericht Sucht 2025 (Addiction Epidemiology Report) by Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (GÖG), Austria's national health research institute, provides the most reliable figures available today: around 4% of the adult population report that gambling is a problem for them, ranging from milder to more severe forms. About 40% of the population gamble at least once a month, including classic lottery games.

The shift among younger people stands out in particular: among under-30s, sports betting, e-sports betting, and slot machines are the most popular forms — and according to the GÖG report, around 64% of slot-machine gambling and roughly half of sports betting in this age group already happens online. Students at polytechnic and vocational schools report gambling experience about twice as often as students at other school types. As with other forms of addiction, early and regular contact with gambling raises the risk of developing problematic gambling behavior later on. According to GÖG data, people who do enter treatment typically already carry around €28,000 in debt — a sign that many only seek professional help very late.

The new gambling law 2026: stronger player protection alongside a more open online market

In August 2026, Austria's Ministry of Finance submitted the draft of a new gambling law (Glücksspielgesetz) to the European Commission for notification — an important step before parliamentary approval. Two things are happening at once:

The online market is opening up. Until now, only one provider, win2day, has held an online concession in Austria. Going forward, there will be an open licensing procedure: providers that meet strict requirements — including settling outstanding tax debts and unpaid claims from player-protection lawsuits involving, according to government figures, around 20,000 affected players — will be able to apply for a concession. Providers that have been operating illegally in Austria must stop offering their services by January 1, 2027 at the latest (a "cooling-off" period); those who don't comply risk an 18-month licensing bar, rising to 24 months from 2030.

Player protection is being tightened. Planned measures include a central, cross-operator exclusion register covering casinos, slot machines, and online gambling; deposit limits (with lower limits for 18- to 26-year-olds); slower slot-machine gameplay with lower maximum stakes; and a mandatory break after 90 minutes of continuous slot-machine play. Funding for scientific research into the addictive potential of gambling is also planned.

Vienna's addiction coordinator, Ewald Lochner, welcomed the stronger player protection publicly, but criticized the fact that sports betting is not covered by the new gambling law — warning that at-risk individuals could shift toward this less regulated area instead. Final parliamentary approval may still take some time after the three-month EU notification period ends; no exact date for the law coming into force has been set yet.

Where can you get help — anonymously and usually free of charge?

Specialized counseling services exist in every Austrian federal state, offering free and, if you wish, anonymous advice:

  • Spielsuchthilfe Wien – a specialized outpatient treatment facility for gambling addiction with many years of experience.

  • Anton Proksch Institut (API) – in Vienna, Baden, and Wiener Neustadt, offering outpatient and inpatient treatment, including for behavioral addictions.

  • Gambling addiction helpline run by the Medical University of Vienna: 0800/20 5242 (toll-free, nationwide).

  • Regional specialist services in every federal state, such as b.a.s (Styria), Institut Glücksspiel & Abhängigkeit (Salzburg/Graz), Suchthilfe Tirol, SUPRO (Vorarlberg), or the Krankenhaus de La Tour (Carinthia) — the Ministry of Finance maintains a complete, regularly updated list of support services by federal state on its website.

An initial, no-obligation conversation at any of these services costs nothing and commits you to nothing. If reaching out to a specialized addiction counseling service still feels like too big a step, talking to a psychotherapist is also a good first point of contact — you can use Find therapists near you to search specifically for professionals experienced with behavioral addictions.

What does health insurance cover?

Coverage follows similar rules to those for other addictions: counseling and treatment at specialized, contracted facilities such as Spielsuchthilfe or the Anton Proksch Institut is generally free for insured individuals. If treatment continues as psychotherapy with a private-pay therapist, the standard insurance subsidy applies (in 2026, €33.70 per session from ÖGK, Austria's largest health insurer). Details on contracted places, subsidies, and the differences between insurance funds are covered in our article on psychotherapy costs in Austria. Inpatient detoxification and rehabilitation treatment is covered by the relevant health insurance fund or social welfare authority when medically necessary.

Frequently asked questions about gambling addiction in Austria

Is gambling addiction a recognized medical condition? Yes. Pathological gambling is classified under ICD-10 code F63.0 as an impulse-control disorder, making it a distinct, treatable medical condition.

How do I know if I or someone close to me is at risk? Warning signs include loss of control over playing time and stakes, "chasing losses" with even higher bets, concealing gambling behavior, debt, and conflicts in relationships, family, or work. The more of these apply, the more urgent it is to seek professional support.

Does counseling for gambling addiction cost anything? Initial counseling at specialized services such as Spielsuchthilfe or the Anton Proksch Institut is generally free and can be anonymous. The gambling addiction helpline run by the Medical University of Vienna (0800/20 5242) is also toll-free.

What's changing under the new 2026 gambling law? Online gambling will be regulated through an open licensing procedure instead of a single provider. At the same time, stricter player-protection measures are coming: a cross-operator exclusion register, deposit limits (lower for 18- to 26-year-olds), slower slot-machine gameplay, and a mandatory break after 90 minutes. Final parliamentary approval will take some time after the EU notification period.

Are sports bets covered by the new protection measures too? Not automatically, as things currently stand — critics, including Vienna's addiction coordinator, point out that sports betting is not covered by the new gambling law, which could encourage at-risk individuals to shift toward this less regulated area.

Taking the first step

Whether it's slot machines, sports betting, or online casinos: gambling addiction usually develops gradually, but it can be treated effectively if help is sought early. You don't have to take this step alone — specialized counseling services across Austria, as well as psychotherapists experienced in behavioral addictions, are there to support you. Use Find therapists near you on Therapeutensuche.at to find the right support service in your area.

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