◉ The History
◉ The Future
◉ Is Gambling is Legal?

The History of Gambling in Switzerland

The History

Gambling of any kind was officially prohibited in Switzerland in 1921, a ban that stayed in place until 1993. Even this new legislation did not overturn the ban completely, permitting limited-stakes casino gambling only. A few years later, the Federal Law on Games of Chance and Casinos was amended to allow unlimited stakes gambling in Swiss casinos.

When it comes to brick-and-mortar gambling, Swiss residents have many options to choose from. There are numerous casinos and horse racing tracks spread around the country, and, on top of that, Switzerland residents have access to many different lottery systems.

The attraction of this new activity seems to have been immediate, with one fifth of the Switzerland’s citizens now classed as frequent gamblers and over half the population regularly playing the lottery. There’s now a total of 19 casinos spread over Switzerland’s 26 cantons (member states), in addition to 11 horse racing tracks. No canton has more than one of each, but in these venues everything from slots gaming to parimutuel betting is permitted.

For online gambling, things are rapidly changing. Recently, Swiss residents voted to legalize online gambling. However, the catch of the legislation is that only Swiss-certified operations are legal to use. Currently, this law has not taken effect. We guess that even once this law goes into place, many Swiss residents will still opt to gamble at foreign gambling sites to have access to a more extensive variety of options.

However, online gambling and online casinos are still technically illegal within the Swiss Confederation, although this may well be about to change. The Swiss government is currently looking to introduce regulation to the online gaming market, with an initial review launched in the tail end of 2013. Even without that, the Swiss are unable to actually enforce the ban on online gambling, so people usually find a way to access sites. As the national languages of Switzerland include French, German and Italian, players from every canton have no difficulties finding online casinos that cater to their linguistic needs, and Swiss banks have no objection to moving funds to online bookmakers, even if they are abroad.

The Future of Gambling in Switzerland

The Future

The various modes of gambling have proven very profitable for the Swiss government, especially through the taxes on casinos. Yet despite the money charitably reinvested by the non-profit lottery companies, some are concerned by the health issues that have been created by gambling’s increasing popularity in the country. However, with the inevitable legalisation of online gambling creeping ever closer, it seems the Swiss government will continue to ride the money train that the industry is driving towards an even more lucrative future.


The Swiss online betting environment is evolving fast and one of the most important developments has to do with the forthcoming introduction of a new Gambling Agreement (Geldspielkonkordat) which is currently awaiting ratification by the cantons. That Agreement is due to come into force on the 1st of July 2020 at the earliest and it will establish a new regulatory body, the Intercantonal Gambling Authority (GESPA), which will replace Comlot. Hopefully, the new authority will reconsider the licensing system and put an end to the state monopoly.

Is it Legal to Gamble in Switzerland?

Is Gambling is Legal?

The Swiss Federal Council decides on the maximum number of terrestrial casino licences that may be granted, and also defines the geographical locations of such casinos.

With the new law, you can gamble anywhere in Switzerland! There are land-based casinos across the country. 파워볼사이트 You can get lotto tickets and participate in sports betting at newsstands and tobacconists on nearly every corner.

Even better, with the new Swiss online gambling law, it’s 100% legal to gamble online! While the law will eventually block access to sites that are not licensed in Switzerland, right now, you can still legally access them. So get in while the getting’s good!

The new law also loosens Switzerland’s restrictions on private poker games. Previously, the law prohibited all real money poker games organized outside of licensed casinos. The new law allows private home poker games as long as the stakes are “low” and organizers apply to local canton authorities for approval.