Online casino? Money back.

In Austria, online gambling may only be offered legally by operators holding a licence under the Gambling Act (GSpG). This nationwide licence is currently held exclusively by Casinos Austria AG (win2day). All other online casinos, often licensed in Malta, Gibraltar or Curacao, offer online gambling without an Austrian licence. Sports betting is treated separately: it is legally classified as a game of skill in Austria, does not fall under the nationwide gambling monopoly and is regulated at the level of the federal provinces. Operators such as Tipico or Interwetten hold betting licences of individual provinces and operate legally there in the sports betting segment. The casino section on the same platforms, however, is subject to the GSpG and may not be offered legally in Austria without a nationwide licence.

In principle you can reclaim your losses yourself. In practice, however, the operators are based abroad and rarely respond to private letters; without the threat of a lawsuit, hardly any casino pays. Via DeineRechte.at attorney Dr. Oliver Peschel reviews your case free of charge, so you know in advance whether legal action is worthwhile. In any case, we recommend pursuing proceedings against an online casino only with a lawyer involved.

The legal situation for sports betting differs from casino games (slots, roulette, poker). While casino games fall under the federal monopoly, online sports betting is generally legal in Austria. Recovery is considerably more complex here, but can be examined case by case in the event of serious breaches of player protection or a severe case of gambling addiction (partial legal incapacity). Losses from casino games (slots, roulette, poker) are generally recoverable. The precise assessment is made case by case on the basis of current Supreme Court case law.

In Austria, claims based on the nullity of contracts are subject to a limitation period of 30 years.

Proceedings can take between a few months and 1-2 years. This depends heavily on how long the casino tries to delay the proceedings.

We advise against chargebacks on your own without legal support, as they often lead to debt collection claims from payment providers. A professional lawsuit is the legally sound way to enforce your claims.

No. Austrian case law regards the player as the party to be protected. There are no criminal consequences for you as a private individual for having played on these sites.

If you do not want to bear the litigation cost risk yourself, we arrange a reputable litigation funder for you. The funder covers all lawyer and court fees. If the case is won, the funder receives a percentage share (success fee). If the case is lost, you incur no costs whatsoever.

Yes. Judgments of Austrian courts can be enforced within the European Union and in third countries. Many of the large operators have sufficient liquidity and pay reliably after final judgments or settlements. Due to Bill 55 there are currently enforcement difficulties only in Malta, but we expect these legal issues to be resolved.

Such providers buy your claim from you and pay immediately, but usually only a fraction of your loss. So you trade part of your money for speed. Those who instead have the recovery pursued by a lawyer wait longer, but aim for the full amount. The cost risk can be covered through legal expenses insurance or a litigation funder.

That is the normal case and not a problem. Each operator is reviewed as its own case, because each is a separate opposing party. Simply name all the operators you played with in the initial assessment; the firm will then tell you which cases are worthwhile and how they will be bundled.