Casinos Austria will see a major leadership change with the departure of CEO Erwin van Lambaart. He will step down when his contract runs out in March 2027.
Board member Andreas Bierwirth, who previously held management roles at Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and Magenta Telekom, has been named his successor.
Bierwirth has been a member of the three-member board of Casinos Austria since October 2025, where he holds the position of Chief Transformation Officer (CTO). He currently chairs the Supervisory Board of Do&Co and sits on the Board of Finnair.
According to supervisory board chairman Robert Zadrazil, van Lambaart announced his decision internally in September. After that announcement, the two main shareholders, Allwyn and ÖBAG, initiated a succession process.
Board members and stakeholders have commended Bierwirth’s appointment, claiming that he will be well equipped to lead the company into the upcoming concession award. The appointment results from an international search process led by a personnel consultancy, according to the operator.
Van Lambaart has led Casinos Austria since 2022. Before his appointment at the Austrian group, he served as CEO of Holland Casino. He remains the chair of the European Casino Association (ECA) following his appointment in 2023.
The leadership change will reduce the executive board to two members: Bierwirth and Martin Škopek.
Robert Chvatal, CEO of Allwyn and a shareholder in Casinos Austria, welcomed Bierwirth’s appointment. “I look forward to working with Bierwirth, an experienced manager whom I know will drive the next crucial steps for the group,” he stated.
Bierwirth described the upcoming launch of the casino tender licences as a key objective for his tenure.
“The lottery and casino concessions are due to be re-awarded, which are the basis for our business in the future,” he stated. “We want to and will show that there is no better partner for this special business than our group of companies.”
Casinos Austria currently holds all 12 land-based casino licences, while Austrian Lotteries’ brand Win2day currently holds the single licence available for lotteries and online gaming.
A draft bill published in June sets the end of Casinos Austria’s monopoly and the opening of a competitive online market, in addition to plans for 13 casino licences, up from the 12 operating today.
“We will accept the competition and give everything to convince the players with our quality. The transition from a monopoly market to a liberalised market is always a very special management task for the former monopolist,” added Bierwirth.