The market
Switzerland regulated online gambling through the Federal Act on Money Games, in force since 1 January 2019. The model is unusual: online casino licences are available only as extensions to existing Swiss land-based casino concessions. Gambling is permitted at casinos in 22 locations, and twelve casinos are allowed to offer online money games. Lotteries and sports betting sit under Gespa and are reserved to the two monopoly operators Swisslos and Loterie Romande.
For a foreign operator, this is effectively a closed market. Only established, land-based Swiss casinos can hold an online licence, so international brands cannot operate independently unless they partner with a Swiss brick-and-mortar establishment. The number of online licences remains capped at ten, with the tenth granted to Casino Locarno in March 2026. The ESBK actively enforces ISP blocking of unlicensed foreign sites and maintains a blocklist, making Switzerland one of the most enforcement-active markets in Europe.
The player base is affluent, winnings are tax-free for players, and the market is comfortably served by the concession holders.
Regulation and licensing
The ESBK regulates casino gaming, online and land-based, under the AMG, while Gespa supervises lotteries and sports betting. An online casino operator needs a licence extension granted by the Federal Council on top of a land-based concession, plus a permit from the ESBK for each game before launch. Concessions run up to 20 years. During the first six years after the AMG took effect, from 2019 to 2024, online casino licences were available only to existing Swiss land-based operators, which entrenched the incumbents.
Enforcement is real and technical, centred on ISP blocking rather than player prosecution. There is no independent online casino licence for a pure-play operator.
Marketing and player rules
Online casino advertising is restricted to concession-holding operators; foreign operators cannot advertise and are blocked. The AMG mandates exclusion of players showing signs of addiction, and player winnings are tax-exempt. The ESBK’s blocklist is the primary enforcement tool. A December 2025 Federal Council proposal would tax large gambling winnings at the winner’s place of residence to prevent tax-motivated relocation, which is a player-side change rather than an operator one.
What this means for your plan
I would not pursue Switzerland as a standalone entry. The only legal route to online casino is a partnership with, or supply to, one of the twelve casinos that already hold online rights, and the ISP blocking makes any grey-market approach a dead end. If you are a B2B supplier, the concession holders are your customers and that is a viable relationship. If you are B2C, there is no independent door and I would not spend against one. First move: if you have platform or content to sell, target the Swiss casino groups; if you want a B2C licence, look elsewhere.
Sources
- ESBK, online gambling, checked 4 September 2026
- CMS, expert guide to online gambling in Switzerland, checked 4 September 2026
- Legalpilot, Switzerland gambling laws 2026, checked 4 September 2026