Josef Leutgeb to become fourth member of the Board of Directors with effect from January 1, 2005.

In its meeting on December 3, 2004, the Supervisory Board of Casinos Austria AG voted unanimously to appoint Mr. Josef Leutgeb (43) as the fourth member of the company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Leutgeb will join the existing three-member management team of General Director Leo Wallner, Vice General Director Emil Mezgolits and Director Paul Herzfeld for the maximum five-year term permitted under Austrian company law.

After completing his Masters degree in Business Administration at Vienna University of Economics, Mr. Leutgeb joined the auditor and tax consultant BDO Auxilia where he was responsible for a number of international key accounts, including Casinos Austria. General Director Leo Wallner brought him into the company in 1993.

With his extensive financial expertise and background, Mr. Leutgeb was responsible for setting up Controlling and Treasury at Casinos Austria. The Austrian has also been Chief Financial Officer and Member of the Board of Directors of Casinos Austria International, which handles the Group’s international operations, and a Director of its Australian subsidiary, Casinos Austria International Ltd., since 1997.

Casinos Austria’s ongoing and future expansion plans, including for example the new casino to open in Brussels in 2005 and its acquisition of the ten casinos in Lower Saxony, Germany, raised the need for additional finance competence, a role Mr. Leutgeb is expertly qualified to fill on the Board.

For further details, please contact:
Hermann Pamminger
Head of Corporate Relations and Customer Care
Casinos Austria International
Dr. Karl Lueger Ring 14, A-1015 Vienna
Tel. +43-1-53440-527