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 Several “major players in the international sports betting market” had contacted the board early on and withdrawn from the Swiss market, it said.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.
OECD: Sluggish economic activity slowing growth in Switzerland
This content was published on
Sluggish economic activity at the start of the year is weighing on growth in Switzerland, with GDP expected to fall to 1.1% in 2024.
Report finds mistakes which led to Swiss government data breach
This content was published on
Mistakes were made by both the government and internet company Xplain in the case of a criminal cyber-attack on the Bern-based IT business.
Swiss government wants better gender balance in federal administration
This content was published on
New Swiss government personnel management targets say there must be even more female managers in the federal administration.
Swiss national science foundation funded over 5,000 projects in 2023
This content was published on
In 2023, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) provided a total of CHF961 million worth of funding towards research projects.
Switzerland invites 160 delegations to June Ukraine peace talks
This content was published on
Russia is currently not among the delegations invited to talks aimed at helping bring about peace in the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine.
Survey: air travel most popular way to go on holidays for Swiss
This content was published on
Despite the climate crisis, flying is the most popular mode of transport for private travel – particularly among young, urban and high-income travellers.
Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
This content was published on
From April 2025, authorities plan to be able to analyse data from mobile phones, computers and other data carriers to identify asylum seekers.
Young undocumented migrants gain easier access to vocational training
This content was published on
Rejected asylum-seekers and young undocumented migrants in Switzerland will have easier access to basic vocational training from June 1.
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.