Casinos Austria picks Andreas Bierwirth to lead next licence battle
The leadership change comes as Austria prepares to reshape its casino and online gambling market through a new licensing regime.
Key takeaways:
- Andreas Bierwirth will become CEO of Casinos Austria and chairman of Austrian Lotteries on March 14 2027.
- Bierwirth will replace Erwin van Lambaart, who chose not to seek another term after his current contract expires.
- The group’s management board will be reduced to two members: Bierwirth and Martin Škopek. Bierwirth identified upcoming lottery and casino licence awards as a key strategic priority for the business.
- The appointment comes as Austria considers ending Casinos Austria’s online monopoly and expanding the number of casino licences from 12 to 13.
Casinos Austria has selected Andreas Bierwirth to lead the group as it approaches major licence renewals and potential market liberalisation on the horizon. The executive will take over from Erwin van Lambaart from March 14 2027, inheriting responsibility for defending the company’s dominant position as Austria weighs opening its online gambling sector to greater competition.
Austria.- Casinos Austria has appointed Andreas Bierwirth as chief executive and chairman of the management board of Austrian Lotteries (Österreichische Lotterien), with the executive set to take up the role on March 14 2027. Bierwirth will replace Erwin van Lambaart, whose current five-year contract expires in March 2027. The appointment follows an international recruitment process led by an external personnel consultancy after Van Lambaart announced last September that he would not seek a further term.
The transition will also streamline the company’s executive structure, reducing the management board to two members: Bierwirth and Martin Škopek. Bierwirth has served on the board since 2025.
Edith Hlawati, a board member at state holding company ÖBAG, which owns a stake in Casinos Austria, welcomed the appointment and highlighted that Bierwirth “is very aware of the challenges facing the group”. Robert Chvatal, chief executive of Allwyn, a shareholder in Casinos Austria, also endorsed the decision. He praised Van Lambaart’s tenure, adding that Casinos Austria and Austrian Lotteries “are well positioned for the upcoming concession award”.
Bierwirth identified the forthcoming licence tender process as one of the key priorities facing the group.
“The lottery and casino concessions are due to be re-awarded, which are the basis for our business in the future. We want to and will show that there is no better partner for this special business than our group of companies,” he said.
At present, Casinos Austria holds all 12 land-based casino licences in Austria, while Austrian Lotteries’ Win2day brand operates under Austria’s sole lottery and online gaming licence, which carries a 15-year term. However, a draft bill published in June outlined plans to end Casinos Austria’s long-standing monopoly in the online sector and open the market to competition. The proposal also envisages the issuance of 13 casino licences, compared with the 12 currently in operation.
Addressing the prospect of increased competition, Bierwirth said the company was prepared for a liberalised market environment.
“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,” he said.
Alongside his role at Casinos Austria, van Lambaart is chairman of the European Casino Association (ECA), a position he assumed in 2023.
