Casinos Austria appoints Bierwirth CEO-designate before licence tender
Andreas Bierwirth will take over as chief executive of Austrian Lotteries in March 2027, succeeding Erwin van Lambaart as the group prepares to defend its gaming concessions in a liberalising market.
Casinos Austria has confirmed Andreas Bierwirth as the incoming chief executive and chairman of the board of Austrian Lotteries (Österreichische Lotterien), according to iGaming Business.
Bierwirth takes up the post on 14 March 2027, replacing Erwin van Lambaart, whose five-year contract expires that month. He has sat on the board since 2025.
The move follows an international search run by a recruitment firm after Van Lambaart told the company last September that he would not seek another term.
Van Lambaart said the shifting operating landscape would be better served by a fresh leadership team guiding the company forward. He remains chair of the European Casino Association, a post he has held since 2023.
Once Bierwirth takes charge, the executive board will shrink to just two members: himself and Martin Škopek.
Edith Hlawati, a board member of state holding company ÖBAG, which holds shares in Casinos Austria, said Bierwirth understood the difficulties the group currently faces. Supervisory board chairman Robert Zadrazil credited Van Lambaart with leaving the business in a strong position to meet what comes next.
Robert Chvatal, chief executive of Allwyn, a Casinos Austria shareholder, said he was looking forward to working with an experienced manager he expects to steer the group through its next important phase. He also thanked Van Lambaart, saying the outgoing chief had left both Casinos Austria and Austrian Lotteries well placed for the concession tender ahead.
For his part, Bierwirth pointed to the renewal of the lottery and casino concessions as the central task of his tenure, saying the group intends to prove there is no stronger partner for that business.
Casinos Austria currently runs all 12 of the country's land-based casinos, while its Austrian Lotteries arm operates Win2day, the sole licensed lottery and online gaming brand, under a 15-year permit.
A draft bill published in June would end that monopoly, opening the online gambling market to competition and expanding the number of casino licences from 12 to 13.
Bierwirth acknowledged that shifting from monopoly to a liberalised market poses a particular management challenge for the incumbent, but said the group would compete on quality to win over players.