Reports SWITZERLAND - UPDATE
Hit or Miss? As one of the wealthiest nations in
Switzerland
Europe, Switzerland’s independent and autonomous stature makes it the popular kid in the European playground, despite it not even being a team
member. Its impartiality is a trademark, whilst its progressive nature means it is often a benchmark for innovative ideas. Three years after Switzerland loosened its gambling regulations to permit online gambling, giving licences to land-based casinos, we take a look at how this has developed and evolved.
Historically, Switzerland’s gambling industry has been strictly regulated. All types of gambling were officially banned in Switzerland in 1921 and this lasted until 1993. Lotteries were later given authorisation to operate within certain cantons if revenues were given to public benefit charities. Tis saw the 1923 Lottery Act introduced which was later extended to include sports betting.
Te Casino Act 1998 came into force in April 2000 which lifted the ban on casinos and the majority of the casinos opened between 2002 and 2003. Tey came with a 20-year gaming licence with only one casino in each of the regional gambling zones.
At present there are 21 casinos in 23 zones, plus 11 licence extensions (online gambling). Te casinos are private companies and operate under concessions dished out by the Swiss Federal
P42 WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS
Council (CMFJ). Te country’s gambling industry expanded and developed merrily under this legislation until the new kid on the block, online gambling, appeared on the scene.
Switzerland’s strict regulatory regime in place, which prohibited the operation of online gaming in Switzerland, drove many Swiss players to access services provided from offshore operators.
Casinos began to lose revenues to the increased activity at online casinos coupled with illegal gambling clubs popping up in the country. Swiss casinos claimed they hadn’t been profitable since 2007 with revenues reportedly dropping by around 4.1 per cent year on year.
And so, Switzerland went back to the drawing board.
THE NEW GAMING ACT
Te new law on gambling actually dates back to 2009 when it was first discussed and the initiative ‘For Gambling for the Common Good’ was filed with the Federal Chancellery. In 2010 the proposal was rejected and a counterproposal was released later that year.
In 2012 the proposal was voted on and a year later the Federal Council outlined the future gambling legislation. A preliminary draft was released in 2014 for consultation followed by a series of parliamentary deliberations.
In 2018, a request for a referendum against the new law was announced which began in March of that year but almost 73 per cent voted in favour and the new Federal Law on Gambling (LJAr) came into force on January 1 2019.
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