Austrian Lotteries

History and Company Origins

Austrian Lotteries was established in Vienna in 1986, created through Austria’s federal gambling concession framework rather than by a private founder. The company was formed to run the country’s national lottery, and its launch of Lotto “6 aus 45” quickly made it a household name. Over the following decades, the product range expanded well beyond the original six-from-45 draw, adding instant tickets, the Joker supplementary draw, football pools through Toto, and eventually the international lottery products EuroMillions and Eurojackpot.

The company operates as the lottery and regulated online-gambling arm within the broader Casinos Austria group. Casinos Austria AG, the parent company, combines land-based casinos, lottery operations, and international gambling interests, with an ownership structure that blends Austrian state control through ÖBAG with the private Komárek/Allwyn investment sphere. Austrian Lotteries itself is not independently listed, but its parent group is one of Central Europe’s most established state-influenced gambling organisations.

Business Model and Distribution

Austrian Lotteries generates revenue through the sale of lottery tickets, instant scratch cards, football-pool bets, and regulated online gambling products. Its traditional distribution network is dense and deeply integrated into Austrian retail life, with tickets sold through tobacconists, kiosks, post offices, and specialised lottery outlets. This physical presence has historically been a key competitive strength, giving the company widespread brand visibility and convenience.

The digital channel has become increasingly important. Austrian Lotteries operates win2day.at, which launched as one of Austria’s first state-controlled online casino offerings and now serves as the company’s primary online sales hub. Win2day combines core lottery products with online slots, table games, poker, and other casino verticals, reflecting the group’s effort to retain Austrian players as gambling habits shift from physical retail to online platforms.

Products and Brands

Lotto “6 aus 45” remains the company’s flagship and most culturally embedded product, attracting a broad base of regular players. The Joker add-on draw gives players a supplementary six-digit number attached to Lotto and other core tickets, with its own rolling jackpot. EuroMillions and Eurojackpot are sold through the same licensed network, connecting Austrian players to large pan-European jackpots that frequently exceed national lottery prize pools.

Rubbellose, Austria’s instant scratch-card range, is a significant retail revenue stream and is sold across the entire distribution network. Toto, the traditional football-pool game, remains a recognisable product for sports-focused players, even as digital sports betting has become more prominent in the wider market. Together, these products make Austrian Lotteries the most comprehensive lottery operator in the country.

Online Gaming and Digital Strategy

The launch of win2day was a defining strategic move for Austrian Lotteries in the mid-2010s. The platform was among the first regulated online casino offerings in Austria and has since become the group’s main digital sales point. Win2day’s combination of lottery, casino, and poker products positions Austrian Lotteries as a multi-vertical operator, rather than a traditional standalone lottery company. The company has continued to invest in digital improvements, recognising that online competition is expected to intensify after the Austrian market opens to new licensed online casino operators in 2027.

Regulation and Market Position

Austrian Lotteries operates under licences granted by the Austrian Gambling Act, with the Federal Ministry of Finance serving as the responsible regulator. The company is the incumbent domestic operator, and its market position has been shaped by a regulatory framework that historically favoured the state-concession model. A 2023 reform of Austria’s gambling law will introduce licensed competition in the online casino segment from 2027, along with a mandatory cross-operator cooling-off period designed to strengthen player protection.

Austrian Lotteries has publicly engaged with the debate around this regulatory transition. Its CEO, Erwin van Lambaart, has highlighted the risks of the reform’s timeline, particularly the potential for unlicensed offshore operators to gain ground during the transition. The company has repeatedly called for a clear and enforceable regulatory framework that preserves the strength of the licensed sector while protecting players from illegal gambling offers.

Leadership and Governance

Austrian Lotteries is led by a management board under German corporate titles. Erwin van Lambaart serves as Chief Executive Officer (Vorsitzender der Geschäftsführung), and Michael Stawiczki serves as Chief Financial Officer (Finanz-Geschäftsführer). Both are listed in the company’s official imprint and group management disclosures. The company does not publicly disclose separate C-level roles such as CTO, CCO, or COO in the sources reviewed. Because Austrian Lotteries is a wholly owned subsidiary of Casinos Austria, its governance sits within the broader Casinos Austria management structure rather than as an independent public company board.