Casinos Austria general director Erwin van Lambaart to leave in March 2027

Erwin van Lambaart will not extend his contract as general director of Casinos Austria when it expires in March 2027, supervisory board chairman Robert Zadrazil confirmed in a statement on Tuesday evening. The statement was reported by Leadersnet. Van Lambaart had already told the supervisory board in September that he would not be available for an extension, Zadrazil said.

Andreas Bierwirth, currently chief transformation officer and a member of the three-person board since October 2025, is regarded as a possible successor. Kurier first reported the change, citing information from supervisory circles that Bierwirth would succeed the Dutch executive; an official confirmation of that appointment is still outstanding. Zadrazil did not say who would take over.

According to Zadrazil, a succession process was initiated in consultation with the two main shareholders, Allwyn and ÖBAG. He said the responsible bodies would initiate all necessary steps on the coming Wednesday, which the report gives as 21 October.

Bierwirth's earlier roles include management positions at Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and Magenta Telekom, and a short period on the board of Erste Bank. He is currently chairman of the supervisory board of Do&Co and a member of the board of Finnair. If he were appointed chief executive, Casinos Austria would fill the position internally.

Van Lambaart has led Casinos Austria since 2022; before that he headed the Dutch gambling company Holland Casino. The change comes as new gambling concession awards are due in the coming years, which the report describes as significant for the company's further business development. Czech group Allwyn is majority owner of Casinos Austria, with the Austrian state holding ÖBAG also a shareholder; ÖBAG is itself due to get a new head, Thomas Arnoldner.