GGPoker goes legal in Austria ? Or not?

The gambling reform will mean a profound change for your poker account from January 1, 2027 . Since providers such as GGPoker or PokerStars are forced to comply with the new “cooling-off” blocking period if they ever want to obtain a legal license, your account will be temporarily suspended from this day for playing for real money .
Here is the exact schedule for your account and what you need to do:

1. The phase from January 1, 2027 (The compulsory break)

• No real money game possible : As soon as the deadline is reached, the platforms must block the IP addresses from Austria and deactivate logging in to play with real money for Austrian accounts.
• Credit is safe : Your money in the account is not lost . Providers must legally give you the option to pay out your existing balance (bankroll) in full to your bank account. It is best if you actively do this yourself in December 2026.
• Tournament tickets and loyalty points (Rewards) : Unused tournament tickets or loyalty points often expire or are converted into cash during such transition phases. It is recommended to use them up by the end of 2026.

2. The scenario from October 2027 (The Return)
If GGPoker meets the criteria and receives the license, your account will be reactivated from October 1, 2027 . However, under completely new, strict player protection rules:

• Re-verification (KYC) : You will have to re-verify your account (copy of ID, proof of address), as Austrian authorities have extremely strict identity verification requirements.
• Cross-provider loss limit : A legal, monthly deposit or loss limit is introduced. You will then no longer be able to load unlimited funds onto the platform.
• Restrictions on software : Features such as playing at an extremely large number of tables at the same time (mass multitabling) or certain automated auxiliary software (HUDs) could be restricted or completely prohibited in order to comply with Austrian player protection law.
• Changed player pool (important point for poker) : It is still unclear whether Austria will allow players to play in the international, worldwide pool (e.g. with Asia and South America), or whether a “blocked market” (as in France, Spain or Italy) will arise. The latter would mean that from October 2027, you will only be playing against players who are also registered on platforms with an Austrian license.

Conclusion for you: Prepare to pay out your bankroll in full at the end of December 2026 and be prepared for at least a 9-month poker break on these platforms.

Maybe GGPoker isn't licensed in Austria. But you should still be able to play—I’ve seen plenty of players from Austria at the tables, so I don’t see any problem with that.

23maxim88 said:

Maybe GGPoker isn't licensed in Austria. But you should still be able to play—I’ve seen plenty of players from Austria at the tables, so I don’t see any problem with that.

Click to expand...

They aren't, no pokersite ever had a license and the state didn't care for decades.
Now with the new gambling reform they will be forced to abide to Austrias law otherwise we will just get blocked .

I hope GGPoker will acquire a license so it will reopen winter next year.

But as of now , I will be able to play only this year anymore. Hopefully back at the 2nd half of 2027.