Casinos Austria Appoints New CEO Ahead of License Renewals

Casinos Austria has appointed Andreas Bierwirth as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Austrian Lotteries, effective 14 March 2027. Bierwirth will succeed current CEO Erwin van Lambaart, who is leaving the post this March after stating that he does not wish to extend his five-year contract.

The appointment followed an international selection process. Bierwirth has sat on the company's Board of Management since 2025 and has served as its change manager for the past year, giving him direct insight into how the group operates.

Austria is preparing to reassess the structure of its casino and online betting sector. Casinos Austria operates all 12 of the country's land-based casinos. Its Win2day brand, within Austrian Lotteries, holds the only license for lottery and online games under a 15-year permit.

A draft law published in June proposes ending Casinos Austria's long-standing monopoly on online betting. The draft also plans to increase the number of casino licenses from 12 to 13. The change would require the group to compete in tenders.

Bierwirth said that preparing for these tenders is his most important priority. He stressed that the company is ready to compete and noted that moving from a monopoly to an open market is a particular management challenge for former monopoly companies.