Player Protection: 
For about a year now, it has been standard practice for IT staff at Casinos Austria and Austrian Lotteries to give discarded PCs, laptops, overhead projectors and other computer accessories a "second life" rather than disposing of them. They are donated to "PCs für alle" which, after refurbishment, gives the intact devices to people who urgently need them: pupils from lower-income households, young people in apprenticeship training or, currently, war refugees from Ukraine.
This cooperation was launched by two Austrian Lotteries staff members who had become aware of this initiative, which began in 2018, through a TV report. Since the first donations of IT equipment last year, used electronics are being donated at quite a clip: in the course of a comprehensive refit of the offices at the Vienna headquarters, a large part of the Casinos Austria Group's stock of computers that would otherwise continue in operation is being decommissioned, and around 150 PCs and 250 laptops, 300 monitors as well as overhead projectors, keyboards, mice and other accessories have been donated so far. Another large block of donations is planned for the end of this year.
The work of "PCs for All" makes a significant improvement to digital opportunities and thus to the autonomy of people experiencing financial constraints. This is an objective which is also reflected in the Casinos Austria Group’s focus on numerous humanitarian activities. And there is yet another advantage to the programme: When used equipment is "refurbished" to be as good as new, this benefits not only its new owners, but also the environment. Since its founding, the association has prevented the generation of around 200 tons of electronic waste, as "PCs für alle" founder Peter Bernscherer explains.