Interwetten under the microscope: the betting provider from Vienna with a Maltese casino

Not every large provider comes from England or a Mediterranean island. One of the oldest in the industry was founded in Vienna and remains in Austrian hands to this day. In our series, this time we look at Interwetten, a company whose origin is likely to surprise many.

From postal betting provider to early online platform

Interwetten was founded in September 1990 by Wolfgang Fabian in Vienna. In the early years, the company still accepted bets by post and later by telephone, long before the internet existed in its current form. In 1997, Interwetten went online and, according to its own account, was among the very first online betting platforms. This early digitalisation gave the brand a major head start, especially in the German-speaking region, which it has defended over decades.

A company that was never sold

While many competitors were taken over by listed corporations over the years, Interwetten remained independent. Founder Wolfgang Fabian is still the majority owner today and steers the fortunes of the company. The brand is known above all for its broad sports sponsorship, which ranges from Austrian skiing to US leagues such as the NFL and the NHL. The former management spokesman Stefan Sulzbacher moved to the competitor bet-at-home in spring 2026, which we present elsewhere in this series.

An online casino as well since 2004

An online casino was added to the pure sports betting business in 2004. Through its main platform interwetten.com, the company today offers not only bets but also slot games, table games such as roulette and blackjack, and a live casino with real croupiers. This offering is operated not from Vienna but through Interwetten Gaming Ltd. with a licence from the Maltese gambling authority.

Why the Viennese roots change nothing about the legal situation

The fact that Interwetten originally comes from Austria changes nothing about the legal assessment. What matters is not where a brand was founded, but whether the company operating the casino holds an Austrian licence. The Maltese Interwetten company does not hold this licence. According to the case law of the Austrian Supreme Court (OGH), an online casino contract without an Austrian licence is void. The stakes lost in the casino were therefore collected without a valid basis and are in principle reclaimable, in some cases going back many years. Pure sports betting is assessed separately.

How we assess an Interwetten case

Several factors speak in favour of affected persons here. The relevant company is based in the European Union, and Interwetten is an established, economically solid company. Against such an opponent, a judgment obtained in court is easier to enforce than against a pure offshore provider. A special feature applies to the Malta location, where the so-called Bill 55 currently makes the enforcement of foreign judgments more difficult and a decision by the CJEU is still pending. You can read why enforceability is so important in the article Why some online casinos are practically impossible to sue. Whether reclaiming your Interwetten casino losses is worthwhile is something we assess free of charge and without obligation. You can read more about this on the page Online casino and gambling.

How we proceed

The assessment of your case is free of charge. The proceedings against the provider are conducted by cooperating lawyers at our cost, and there is no upfront payment for lawyers for you. In the event of success, R. M. Prozessfinanzierung GmbH retains from 35 percent of the amount obtained, and the remaining amount is paid out to you. A condition for working together is that you stop playing with these providers. You can read more about this on the page Online casino and gambling.

Player protection and help

If you feel that you no longer have your own gambling behaviour under control, you will find anonymous advice and concrete points of contact among the support services of the Federal Ministry of Finance. This help is independent of any reclaim.

Note

The information on companies, brands and figures in this article comes from publicly accessible internet research. We accept no liability for its accuracy and completeness.