The first instalments of our series looked at Stake and Entain. This time we examine a brand that almost nobody in Austria can avoid: Tipico. When people think of Tipico, they think of sports betting. Few people know that the group also operates an online casino alongside it, and that is precisely the point that matters legally.
From betting shop franchise to Malta group
Tipico was founded in 2004 in Malta by the three German entrepreneurs Dieter Pawlik, Oliver Voigt and Mladen Pavlovic. Malta was the first EU state with a modern framework for online gambling, and from there Tipico built a dense network of betting shops across the German-speaking region, most recently more than 1,250 locations. What set it apart was the combination of shop and internet. Customers could pay in cash at a branch and carry on playing online with the same account. The brand became well known above all through sports sponsorship, from the platinum partnership with FC Bayern Munich to the official partnership with the German Football League.
Who owns Tipico today
For many years the financial investor CVC Capital Partners held the majority. In April 2026 the Banijay Group took over the group, valued it at around five billion euros and combined it with the French provider Betclic to form one of the largest gambling groups in Europe. Since then Tipico has been led by Mate Bacic, who had previously been in charge of the Austrian business. The central group company, Tipico Co. Ltd., is still based in Malta and holds the gambling licences of the Maltese authority from there.
The Admiral acquisition in Austria
At the start of 2025 Tipico bought the Admiral group in Austria from the gambling group Novomatic. Since then Tipico has operated gaming machines and betting venues at around 150 locations in several federal provinces. These physical locations run on the respective provincial licences and are permitted. They have nothing to do with the question that a reclaim is about. That concerns the online casino alone.
Why the casino part matters with Tipico
Austrian law treats sports betting and casino completely differently. For sports betting a provider needs no gambling licence, so betting losses are not an issue here. The online casino, on the other hand, meaning slot games, roulette, blackjack and live tables, counts as gambling and may only be offered with a licence. Tipico does not hold precisely this licence in Austria. According to the settled case law of the Austrian Supreme Court (OGH), a gaming contract without a licence is void. The casino stakes were therefore collected without any valid basis and can in principle be reclaimed, in some cases going back many years.
How we assess a Tipico case
One circumstance works in players’ favour here. The relevant company is based in the EU, and Tipico today belongs to a large, financially strong group. Against an opponent of this kind, a judgment obtained in court can realistically be enforced. We explain in the article Why some online casinos are practically impossible to sue that enforceability is not the same with every provider. Whether reclaiming your Tipico casino losses is worthwhile is something we assess free of charge and without obligation. You can read how a collaboration works 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 no upfront payment for lawyers is due from you. If successful, R. M. Prozessfinanzierung GmbH retains from 35 percent of the amount awarded, and the remaining amount is paid out to you. A condition for the collaboration 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 in 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 available internet research. We accept no liability for its accuracy or completeness.
Sources
- Tipico, company and brand information, tipico-group.com
- Malta Gaming Authority, licence register (authorisation.mga.org.mt), Tipico Co. Ltd.
- Austrian Federal Competition Authority (BWB), conditions on Tipico's acquisition of the Admiral group, 2025
- Compatibility of national restrictions on online gambling with EU law · Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) · C-440/23