Robert Zadrazil has been confirmed as chairman of the Supervisory Board of both Casinos Austria and the Austrian Lotteries Group, following a vote at the companies’ Annual General Meeting last week.
Zadrazil succeeds Wolfgang Hesoun, who stepped down after six years in the role. His appointment was first flagged in February, when ÖBAG, the Austrian state holding company that represents the government’s 33.24% interest in the group, put his name forward for the position.
Board Changes Confirmed at AGM
The AGM brought several further governance changes. Legal expert Katja Tautscher was appointed as a new member of the Supervisory Board, replacing Erika Stark-Rittenauer. Roland Mechtler’s mandate as a Supervisory Board member of Austrian Lotteries was also renewed at the meeting.
The appointments come at a significant moment for the wider group. Allwyn, which holds a majority stake in Casinos Austria and Austrian Lotteries, completed its merger with Greek gaming group OPAP earlier this week, beginning its life as a publicly listed company on the Athens Exchange under the ticker ALWN.
Reactions
Robert Zadrazil’s decades of experience across complex, highly regulated environments makes him exceptionally well-placed to support our next phase of growth. We are very pleased to welcome him to the business and look forward to working together.
That was Robert Chvatal, CEO of Allwyn, commenting on the appointment.
ÖBAG executive board member Edith Hlawati also welcomed the decision.
We are delighted to have secured an outstanding executive with extensive supervisory board expertise in Robert Zadrazil. His proven leadership and regulatory insight will be of great value in guiding both Supervisory Boards.
Austria’s Gaming Sector in Transition
The boardroom change comes as Austria’s gaming sector faces a period of regulatory flux. The country is advancing significant online gambling law reforms ahead of a 2027 licence expiration, putting pressure on operators and the state-backed entities that anchor the domestic market. Zadrazil’s background in regulated industries positions him as a practical choice for a supervisory role that will likely involve navigating those changes at the highest level.
Consolidation is also reshaping the Austrian market at the operator level. Novomatic completed the sale of its Admiral Austria retail estate to Tipico last year, a transaction that signalled a broader shift in how land-based assets are being valued and repositioned across Central Europe.
Allwyn shares closed 2.76% lower at €14.08 on the Athens Exchange on the day the group’s public listing was confirmed.
Source: Gaming Intelligence
