Casinos Austria has named Andreas Bierwirth as its next CEO and chairman of the board of Austrian Lotteries, with the leadership change set to take effect on 14 March 2027. He will succeed Erwin van Lambaart, whose five-year contract expires that month, as the group prepares for renewed lottery and casino concessions and a proposed opening of the online market.
Leadership transition
The appointment followed an international search led by a personnel consultancy. Van Lambaart decided in September last year that he would not seek an extension to his contract and is due to leave at the end of his term in March 2027.
He said the changing operating environment “will benefit from a new leadership team that will guide the company into a promising future”. Van Lambaart remains chair of the European Casino Association (ECA), a role he took up in 2023.
Bierwirth has served on the executive board since 2025. After the change, the board will have two members: Bierwirth and Martin Škopek.
Edith Hlawati, a board member of ÖBAG, the state holding company that owns shares in Casinos Austria, said Bierwirth was suited to lead the group through a challenging period. “Andreas Bierwirth is very aware of the challenges facing the group,” she said.
Supervisory board chairman Robert Zadrazil praised Van Lambaart for putting the company in an “exceptionally well” positioned state to meet future challenges. Allwyn CEO Robert Chvatal, whose company is a shareholder in Casinos Austria, welcomed Bierwirth’s appointment and said he looked forward to working with him. Chvatal also reaffirmed their shared commitment to responsible gaming in Austria and thanked Van Lambaart, saying Casinos Austria and Austrian Lotteries “are well positioned for the upcoming concession award”.
Concessions and market opening
Bierwirth identified the upcoming casino tender licences as a priority for his tenure. Lottery and casino concessions are due to be re-awarded and, he said, form the basis of the group’s future business. He said the companies would seek to demonstrate they were the best partner for the sector.
Casinos Austria currently holds all 12 land-based casino licences. Austrian Lotteries’ Win2day brand holds the country’s only licence for lotteries and online gaming; the permits run for 15 years.
A draft bill published in June proposes ending Casinos Austria’s monopoly and opening the online market. It also sets out plans for 13 casino licences, compared with the 12 currently operating.
Bierwirth said the group would accept competition and seek to win players through quality. He described the shift from a monopoly to a liberalised market as a particular management challenge for a former monopolist.
