Is sports betting legal in switzerland

Switzerland may rank as one of the top sports betting locations today, but gambling wasn't always legal in the country. Sports betting in is sports betting legal in switzerland. Gambling generally is permitted but subject to strict regulation. Contrary to recent developments in other jurisdictions, it is not prohibited. Switzerland has a federal legal system, whereunder the law is governed on a national as well as a state or canton level. Gambling and Lotteries belong. The Federal Court has upheld a ban on accessing foreign online gambling sites, dashing the hopes of three betting outfits to tap the Swiss.

The Legal Status of Sports Betting in Switzerland

Switzerland has seen a growing interest in sports betting in recent years, but the legal landscape surrounding this activity remains complex and subject to specific regulations.

Current Regulations: In Switzerland, sports betting is legal but tightly controlled. The country operates under a strict licensing system that oversees the betting industry to maintain integrity and protect consumers.

Requirements for Operators: Any company that wishes to offer sports betting services in Switzerland must obtain a license from the Swiss Federal Gaming Board. These licenses come with stringent requirements, including responsible gaming measures and compliance with anti-money laundering regulations.

Approval Process: The approval process for obtaining a license is thorough and involves a comprehensive review of the operator's background, financial stability, and adherence to legal requirements. Only those companies that meet these strict criteria are granted permission to operate in the Swiss market.

Constraints and Limitations: Despite the legality of sports betting in Switzerland, there are restrictions in place to protect consumers and prevent problem gambling. This includes limits on stakes and winnings, as well as strict regulations on advertising and promotion of betting services.

Future Outlook: The Swiss government continues to monitor and regulate the sports betting industry to ensure that it remains fair, transparent, and in the best interest of all stakeholders. As the market evolves, we may see further developments in regulations to adapt to the changing landscape of sports betting.

Overall, while sports betting is legal in Switzerland, it is essential for both operators and consumers to understand and comply with the regulations in place to maintain a safe and sustainable betting environment in the country.

Swiss Gambling Supervisory Authority

Sports betting

Back Geldspielformen. Kleine Pokerturniere. Geldspiele im «privaten Kreis». Back Forme di giochi in denaro. Le lotterie. Le scommesse sportive. I giochi di destrezza. I piccoli tornei di poker. I giochi promozionali. Giochi in denaro nella "cerchia privata". Back Leggi e autorizzazioni. Le basi normative. Back Lois et autorisations. Back Portrait.

Conseil de surveillance. Offerte di gioco illegali. Is sports betting legal in switzerland Manipolazione di competizioni sportive. Paris sportifs. Jeux d'adresse. Petits tournois de poker. Jeux de casino. Jeux de promotion des ventes. Back Publications and surveys. Back Publikationen und Erhebungen. Mittelverwendung: Erhebung bei den Kantonen Back Pubblicazioni e indagini.

Utilizzo dei fondi nel indagine svolta presso i cantoni. Parte destinata alla prevenzione indagine svolta presso i cantoni. Swiss Gambling Supervisory Authority. Safe and socially responsible gambling. We look to ensure it. Manipulated sports events?

Report your suspicions. Skill or luck. We assess your game. Betting on horse races in various countries has been possible for many years in the francophone cantons of Switzerland, and by now is also available in the German-speaking parts. Local betting events are licensed and supervised by cantonal authorities. Local betting may be offered only at the location of the sports event.

Federal law puts limits on stakes and prize moneys. The most widespread variety of local sports betting in Switzerland is on horse racing. Gespa recommends checking the legality of local sports betting events with the responsible cantonal authorities before organising them.

For contact details of the responsible bodies, please consult:. Net revenues from sports betting must be used in their entirety for public benefit purposes Art. Part of the stakes wagered in Switzerland flows back to the players in the form of winnings. From the remaining sums gross revenue , operators first cover their costs.

While operators of skill-based games may dispose of their net revenue as they please, the lottery organisations are legally obliged to use theirs for public benefit purposes — particularly for investments in the areas of culture, welfare, sports and the environment. Part of the net revenue from lotteries and sports betting is used to promote sports at the federal level and is distributed by various responsible bodies.

However, the major part goes to the cantons, which may neither have such moneys flow into their state accounts nor use them for statutory liabilities under public law. Most cantons have set up specific lottery or sports funds for the purpose. Accordingly Gespa has no legal or other coercive powers with regard to the use of gambling revenues.

The report and the Excel file s submitted by the cantons can be found under Publications and surveys. A sports competition is manipulated where athletes, referees or other involved parties improperly control the course or result of the competition in such a way that the course or result become predictable. Information on the legal foundations, the structure and the objectives of gambling regulation is available here.

In these pages operators and organisers of gambling events find supplementary information that goes beyond what is of interest to the broader public. Masthead Legal notice Login. For optimal use of our website, we use cookies, among other things. Certain basic functions are mandatory, others optional. You can refuse the latter.

Privacy Policy. Go directly to home page Go directly to navigation 1 Go directly to navigation 2 Go directly to content Go directly to service 1 Go directly to service 2. Publications Blocklist Contact Search Menu. Types of gambling. Sports betting. Is sports betting legal in ar Skill-based gambling. Small-scale poker tournaments. Casino games. Sales-promotion games. Gambling among friends and family.

Regulation and licensing. Fighting illegal gambling. Illegal gambling offers. Access blocking. The right to offer lottery and sports betting has been exclusively granted by the cantons to Swisslos and Lotterie Romande. The cantons are the owners of these two institutions. A concession is valid for 20 years. If justified by the particular circumstances, the Federal Council may provide for a shorter or longer duration.

In particular, the Federal Council may provide for a shorter duration for the extension of the concession to include the right to conduct casino games online. The concession may be extended or renewed, but there is no right to have it extended or renewed. As noted under question 6. Accordingly, no new licences will be issued.

The following considerations thus only concern large-scale games of skill. Permission to conduct a small-scale game may be granted pursuant to Article 33 of the Money Gaming Act if the organiser:. Companies wishing to offer online casino games must meet the licensing conditions of Article 8 para 1 lit a nos 1—4 and lit b—d of the Money Gaming Act as well as various technical requirements.

The ESBK may issue technical gaming regulations for:. The Federal Council determines how many concessions are awarded. As a rule, these concessions all expire at the same time. The ESBK, which is entrusted with the management of the award procedure, opens an invitation to tender to redistribute the concessions. Is sports betting legal in switzerland The various interested parties can apply to be invited to submit an offer by submitting a concession application.

Applicants may request the application materials in editable format by emailing info esbk. The tender process runs for four months. The applications are then processed and the results are communicated to the applicants approximately one year later. A lump-sum advance payment is required for the processing of applications. For other expenses incurred by the ESBK, the fees are assessed in accordance with Article of the Federal Gaming Ordinance based on the time spent and the expertise required.

The fees range from CHF to CHF per hour, depending on the function level of the executive staff and whether a transaction is handled by the Commission or its Secretariate. Additional costs may be incurred for ongoing monitoring pursuant to Article of the Federal Gaming Ordinance. The concession is not transferable. Legal transactions that disregard or circumvent this prohibition are void.

The Money Gaming Act provides for custodial sentences or fines if certain regulations are not observed. Anyone that intentionally organises or makes available casino games or games of chance on a large scale without possessing the necessary permits or authorisations is liable to a custodial sentence not exceeding three years or to a monetary penalty. The same applies if someone provides the technical means for such unauthorised games with knowledge of the intended use.

If the offence is committed on a commercial basis, the custodial sentence will not exceed five years and the periodic penalty payment will not be less than daily units. A fine of up to daily periodic penalty payments will be imposed on anyone that intentionally obtains a licence or permit by providing false information or by any other fraudulent means Article para 3 of the Money Gaming Act.

Article 74 para 1 of the Money Gaming Act stipulates that operators of both physical and remote money games must not advertise in an obtrusive or misleading manner. Advertising messages are considered misleading according to Article 77 para 1 of the Federal Gaming Ordinance in particular where they:.

Article 77 para 2 of the Federal Gaming Ordinance enumerates obtrusive types of advertising. The list is non-exhaustive and includes:. Indirect advertising Article 76 of the Federal Gaming Ordinance of games that do not require stakes or do not result in the distribution of winnings is subject to the restrictions and prohibitions laid down in Article 74 of the Money Gaming Act if:.

The offering of demo versions in the form of a money game for advertising purposes or a free game with free game credits is permitted under the conditions of Articles 78 and 79 of the Federal Gaming Ordinance. Organisers of money games must take appropriate measures to protect players from gambling addiction. The protection of minors is also explicitly regulated and they are particularly protected by strict restrictions on admission.

The measures to be taken by the organisers of money games must be based on the potential danger posed by the gambling activity in question. The greater the potential danger posed by a game, the stricter the requirements. Casinos and organisers of large-scale games must draw up a social concept. This must contain various measures, which in particular contribute to:.

In addition to these generally applicable regulations, special rules exist for online gaming. As of the opening of the player account, players must always have easy access to the stakes, their winnings and the net result of their gaming activity. The determination of a maximum value in terms of stakes and losses by the players concerned is a mandatory requirement.

Moreover, the organisers of online money games must provide players with information on excessive money games in a clearly visible and easily accessible manner cf Article 88 of the Federal Gaming Ordinance. Furthermore, players must be given the opportunity to temporarily opt out of the game for a period determined by them, up to a maximum of six months. Players cannot unilaterally change the duration of this temporary exit before it expires.

The operators of online games must monitor games with a certain risk potential based on their protection concept and, if necessary, take the necessary measures immediately. Organisers of money games must take appropriate measures to protect players from gambling addiction and from placing stakes that are disproportionate to their income and assets.

The protection of minors is explicitly regulated Article 72 of the Money Gaming Act , and they are particularly protected by strict restrictions on admission. The organisers of money games are prohibited from granting loans or advances to players. The granting of free games or free game credits requires the prior consent of the competent enforcement authority. Game-related protective measures must be taken based on the potential danger posed by the money game in question.

The greater the potential risk, the stricter the requirements. When assessing the risk potential and determining the requisite measures, particular consideration must be given to the game's characteristics and the features of its distribution channel. Money gaming is only approved if the protective measures are sufficient.

According to Article 2 para 2 lit e and f of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, casinos and promoters of large-scale games are considered financial intermediaries and are therefore obliged to comply with money laundering due diligence duties. For promoters of large-scale games, this only applies if winnings of a significant value are paid out to a player. Casinos and organisers of large-scale gaming are required by law to draw up a security concept, which includes measures to ensure safe and transparent gaming operations and to combat crime and money laundering Article 42 of the Money Gaming Act.

The measures must notably ensure that:. Casinos and organisers of large-scale games must inform the competent enforcement authority of all important incidents that may jeopardise the security and transparency of gaming operations. Social gambling takes place online but does not involve a direct monetary stake. Virtual currency takes the place of the monetary stake.

The outcome of the game is perceived as random. Gaming on social media platforms, demo versions of commercial internet gambling and simulated gambling in video games loot boxes are the prevalent forms of social gambling. Various online social games have gained popularity in the past. Although they are not directly addressed by the law, it is possible to classify them under Article 3 lit e of the Money Gaming Act see question 3.

The prerequisite for this is that the social game contains a quid pro quo and prizes. If this is the case, permission from the Inter-Cantonal Gaming Supervision is required. Yes, claims arising from money gaming contracts are enforceable, but only if they are owed to a creditor that has a corresponding licence to conduct games.

For claims arising from gambling contracts, the ordinary civil cantonal courts are competent or, if certain conditions are met, a cantonal commercial court. Claims arising from gambling contracts are assessed in Switzerland according to the ordinary rules on private law claims arising from receivables and not, for example, according to public law.

The most notable recent decision in gambling law is a Federal Supreme Court ruling of May which found the blocking of foreign gambling websites to be lawful see question 4. As explained under question This includes the controversially discussed e-sports such as FIFA and associated in-game purchases.