Swiss gamblers can bet online only with Swiss casinos
Keystone / Julie Jacobson
The Swiss Lottery and Betting Board (Comlot) blocked 88 domains belonging to foreign online gaming operators in 2019, the first year that such blocks were implemented following a change in the law.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
In June 2018 three-quarters of Swiss voters approved the overhaul of the country’s gambling law despite claims by opponents of government censorship. The law came into effect in January 2019, but the blocking of foreign gambling websites didn’t start until August.
Swiss gamblers can bet online, for example at poker or roulette, only with Swiss casinos and lotteries that pay tax in Switzerland and take measures to protect people from addiction. Other sites are automatically obstructed by Swiss telecommunications service providers via DNS (domain name server) blocks.
More
More
Gambling fact-check: ‘closed Switzerland’ vs ‘open Denmark’
This content was published on
Ahead of a nationwide vote on the issue, swissinfo.ch looks at campaigners’ claims about Denmark and finds both sides (mostly) sticking to the facts.
The law had already had an effect before it came into force, Comlot said in its annual report, published on Monday. Several “major players in the international sports betting market” had contacted the board early on and withdrawn from the Swiss market, it said.
Nevertheless, some providers had tried to reduce the effects of the access block by constantly adding new domains, it added. “This proves that certain foreign providers are prepared to break the law in order to maximise profits.”
Comlot pointed out that this behaviour also showed that the technical blocking measure was effective.
Three billion turnover
For the first time, the betting board published gambling statistics for 2019, revealing that inter-cantonal, automated or online lotteries and sports betting had generated a turnover of CHF3 billion ($3.17 billion) and a profit of CHF999 million.
Some 83% of this was accounted for by the lotteries – primarily EuroMillions and Swiss Lotto. The net profits of the lottery companies amounted to CHF630 million, which goes to the cantons and supports charitable projects.
Each of Switzerland’s 8.6 million inhabitants gambled an average of CHF351 last year. Per capita winnings came to CHF235, meaning each person lost an average of CHF116.
More
More
Swiss Lotto – creating and dashing dreams for half a century
This content was published on
Exactly 50 years ago the first national lottery draw took place in Switzerland. Since then 962 millionaires have been made.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Porrentruy mayor comments on Swiss pool ban controversy
This content was published on
The mayor of the Swiss town of Porrentruy, which has been in the headlines in neighbouring France after restricting access to a pool to locals after a spate of anti-social behaviour, says he has received much support in recent days.
Swiss universities to release multilingual AI programme
This content was published on
This summer researchers at Swiss universities will make available a large language model (LLM), an AI programme trained on vast amounts of data, developed on public infrastructure.
This content was published on
After a one-year test phase, Zurich's cantonal police are introducing an online police station. Demand is high and the response from the public has been positive.
This content was published on
The chic resort of St Moritz in southeastern Switzerland has registered "summer" as a trademark under the name "St Summer". The resort in canton Graubünden is launching a campaign to strengthen its summer business.
Swiss authorities detail progress on station access for people with reduced mobility
This content was published on
The Federal Office of Transport (FOT) said on Wednesday that 43 stations had been adapted for people with reduced mobility last year. The vast majority of rail travellers (82%) now benefit from easier access to stations, it says.
This content was published on
The prices of homes and apartments in Switzerland rose again in June. In the Lake Geneva region, prices of detached houses rose sharply. Meanwhile, in Zurich and its surrounding region the opposite trend was observed.
Crowded airports expected in Switzerland this summer
This content was published on
Switzerland's main airports are preparing for a busy summer holiday period. A number of changes have been introduced to improve passenger flows that are expected to be well above average in July and August.
Zurich police arrest 38 football and hockey fans after violent incidents
This content was published on
Zurich police have investigated 48 cases of fan violence at stadiums in the Swiss city since last autumn and arrested a total of 38 people, Swiss public television, SRF, reports.
Cashflow problems affect UN Human Rights Council activities
This content was published on
Certain activities of the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council cannot be carried out in 2025-2026 due of the ongoing cash crisis affecting the UN.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss gamblers to lose access to websites of foreign casinos
This content was published on
The provision of the new Swiss gambling law which restricts online gambling to a few authorised Swiss-based casinos comes into effect on July 1.
First blacklist of foreign gambling websites published
This content was published on
The Swiss Lottery and Betting Board has published its first blacklist of foreign gambling websites following a change to the law on online gambling.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.