Ongoing redundancies at Casinos Austria
In recent developments, Casinos Austria, a leading name in the gaming industry, is undergoing significant changes following the implementation of the ReFIT plan. The future of employee models at Casinos Austria remains unclear, with the works council chief, Manfred Schönbauer, expressing a less positive view of the ReFIT plan and aiming to make the job cuts more socially acceptable.
Initially, the ReFIT plan aimed to reduce up to 500 full-time positions. However, after negotiations with the works council, this was reduced to 350 positions. The plan is expected to result in a 15 to 20 percent reduction in wage costs at casino locations.
However, the works council chief, Manfred Schönbauer, does not fundamentally understand the dismissals, citing Casinos Austria's most successful year in 2019 and the profitability of the online business. The Sazka Group, a new shareholder in Casinos Austria, became a significant player after a bidding battle and now holds over 55 percent of the company.
Job losses are occurring globally in the casino industry, with over 1,600 employees being laid off in the UK, 5,500 jobs set to be cut in Macau, and thousands of jobs being cut in the USA. MGM Resorts International plans to cut 18,000 jobs, most of them in Las Vegas.
In an effort to save jobs, Casinos Austria has agreed upon a reduction in working hours, with those reducing their workload by 50 percent receiving 60 percent of their salary. Good conditions have been secured for voluntary leavers, with up to 39 gross salaries paid as severance. The job cuts are planned to be achieved through mutual agreements, retirements, and part-time models, a move welcomed by Manfred Schönbauer.
A significant restructuring event took place on July 1, 2025, when the MERKUR Group acquired the casino company operated by Casinos Austria International in Lower Saxony, Germany, including casinos at ten locations. This acquisition ended a lengthy dispute and marked a significant shift in casino operations from Casinos Austria to MERKUR Group, which will now operate under its own brand.
The economic context in Austria involves fiscal tightening and challenges such as weak growth and inflation pressures, which may influence corporate restructuring decisions broadly, including in state-owned and private enterprises. While specific job cuts at Casinos Austria are not mentioned, these environment pressures and government reforms could imply future operational adjustments.
Given the acquisition by MERKUR Group and the regional trends of consolidation in the casino sector, further job restructuring or reallocation of personnel at Casinos Austria properties, especially those outside Austria such as in Germany, could be expected as part of integration and efficiency measures. The broader economic and fiscal tightening in Austria could lead to additional cost-cutting, operational streamlining, or labor adjustments at Casinos Austria, aligned with government reforms and company strategies to improve profitability and growth prospects after the recent years of economic challenges.
As the ReFIT plan progresses, it remains to be seen how it will impact Casinos Austria and its workforce. Monitoring official company announcements or industry reports would be advisable for more detailed or updated information on Casinos Austria's restructuring and job impacts from the ReFIT plan.
What are Manfred Schönbauer's views on the job cuts at Casinos Austria, given the recent success and profitability of the casino-and-gambling business? Despite a profitable 2019 and a profitable online business, Schönbauer does not fundamentally understand the dismissals, citing concerns about casino-culture and potential negative impacts on casino-personalities.
