Casinos Austria names Andreas Bierwirth as CEO-designate ahead of concession award

Casinos Austria announced on Wednesday the appointment of Andreas Bierwirth as chief executive and chairman of the board of Austrian Lotteries (Österreichische Lotterien), effective 14 March 2027. Bierwirth succeeds Erwin van Lambaart, whose five-year contract expires that month. The appointment follows an international search process led by a personnel consultancy, according to the announcement.

The search followed Van Lambaart's decision in September last year not to seek a contract extension. His term ends in March 2027, when he will leave the role, and he continues to chair the European Casino Association (ECA), a position he has held since 2023. Once the handover is complete, the executive board will shrink to just two people: Bierwirth, a board member since 2025, and Martin Škopek.

Edith Hlawati, who sits on the board of the state holding company ÖBAG, a shareholder in Casinos Austria, praised the appointment and said Bierwirth understands the difficulties the group faces. Supervisory board chairman Robert Zadrazil credited Van Lambaart with positioning the company to meet future challenges. Robert Chvatal, chief executive of Allwyn, a shareholder in Casinos Austria, welcomed the appointment and thanked Van Lambaart, noting that both Casinos Austria and Austrian Lotteries “are well positioned for the upcoming concession award”.

Bierwirth said the lottery and casino concessions are due to be re-awarded and described them as the basis for the company's future business. Casinos Austria currently holds all 12 land-based casino licences, while Austrian Lotteries' brand Win2day holds the single licence in the country for lotteries and online gaming, a 15-year permit. A draft bill published in June would end Casinos Austria's monopoly and open up the online market, and proposes 13 casino licences instead of the 12 in operation today. Bierwirth said the company will accept the competition and described the transition from a monopoly market to a liberalised market as a particular management task for a former monopolist.