Austrian Association for Betting and Gambling names new secretary general

OVWG has named Thomas Forstner to lead the group’s work on behalf of Austrian operators.

Austria.- The Austrian gambling interest group, the Austrian Association for Betting and Gambling (OVWG), has announced that Thomas Forstner is its new secretary-general.

Forstner has experience in industry representation in other sectors, having worked at the Austrian Security Companies (VSÖ) and the Alpine Association of Creditors (AKV).

OVWG represents domestic gaming operators licensed in the EU. Forstner will be its point of contact with politicians, officials and media as it campaigns to open Austria’s monopoly model for online gambling. The group has called for Austria to look to Denmark’s model for best practice in the area.

Forstner said: “The aim of the OVWG is to create a fair framework of conditions in the online sphere, complying with the applicable EU regulations. 

“As an interest group, we vehemently advocate for the legal framework for games of chance and betting, in particular, to be reformed in such a way that ultimately everyone can benefit from it; the users through the highest player protection standards, the providers with clear legal requirements and the state with predictable and secure tax revenues.”

Austrian online gambling operators have been impacted by court cases over offshore online operators who catered to Austrian customers. Bet-at-Home withdrew its casino products from Austria in October to avoid the costs of a prolonged legal battle, leading it to announce a restructuring plan with 65 layoffs.