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

Casinos Austria has named Andreas Bierwirth as CEO and chairman of Austrian Lotteries, with the handover scheduled for 14 March 2027. The timing matters because the group is heading into a concession re-award process that will shape who controls Austria’s land-based casino and online lottery business next.

1. On Wednesday, Casinos Austria announced Bierwirth’s appointment after an international search led by a personnel consultancy. He will succeed Erwin van Lambaart, whose current five-year contract expires in March 2027.
2. Van Lambaart decided in September last year not to seek an extension. He is due to step down at the end of his term and remains chair of the European Casino Association (ECA), a role he took in 2023.
3. The leadership change will leave the executive board with two members: Bierwirth and Martin Škopek. Bierwirth has been on the board since 2025, so this is not a cold start; it is a scheduled handover into a more sensitive phase.
4. Edith Hlawati, a board member of state holding company ÖBAG, which owns shares in Casinos Austria, said Bierwirth is “very aware of the challenges facing the group.” Supervisory board chairman Robert Zadrazil said Van Lambaart had positioned the company “exceptionally well” for future challenges.
5. Robert Chvatal, CEO of Allwyn, a shareholder in Casinos Austria, said the company is “well positioned for the upcoming concession award” and reiterated support for responsible gaming in Austria. Bierwirth, for his part, said the lottery and casino concessions are due to be re-awarded and called them the basis for the group’s future business.

Casinos Austria currently holds all 12 land-based casino licences. Austrian Lotteries’ brand Win2day holds the country’s only licence for lotteries and online gaming, with a 15-year permit. A draft bill published in June sets out the end of Casinos Austria’s monopoly, with the online market also in line to open up.