Austria must wait until December before adopting its planned gambling-law overhaul after Malta issued a detailed opinion in the European Union's technical-notification process. The intervention extended the mandatory standstill by just over a month.
The European Commission's TRIS record now shows December 7 as the end of the standstill, replacing the original November 5 date. It lists Malta as the issuer of the detailed opinion and records separate comments from the Commission.
Austria's draft would replace the current structure with a regulated multi-concession system for online gambling. It also proposes website-blocking injunctions, payment restrictions and a public blacklist aimed at services that operate without an Austrian concession.
The extension is procedural rather than a rejection of the bill. Austria can respond to the concerns and continue the legislative process after the standstill, but it cannot ratify the notified technical rules before that period expires. iGaming Business reported that the new timing pushes ratification into the second week of December.
