Switzerland regulates gambling under the Federal Act on Gambling (Bundesgesetz über Geldspiele, BGS, or Money Gaming Act), which voters approved in a referendum on 10 June 2018 and which came into force on 1 January 2019. The Act divides the market between two systems. Casino games, on land and online, are licensed by the federal government and supervised by the Federal Gaming Board (Eidgenössische Spielbankenkommission, ESBK). Lotteries, sports betting and “large-scale” skill games are licensed by the cantons and supervised by an intercantonal authority, Gespa. Only Swiss casinos holding an online extension to their concession may offer casino games on the internet, and domains of unauthorised foreign operators are blocked by Swiss internet providers. This guide explains how that framework developed, how it is enforced, what it means for players and the main developments of 2023–2026.
Key points
- Online casino games have been legal since 1 January 2019, but only for land-based Swiss casinos whose concession has been extended by the Federal Council to cover online play.
- In the concession round for 2025–2044, the Federal Council granted 22 casino concessions, 12 of them with permission to offer casino games online.
- Unauthorised online gambling sites are placed on official block lists, and Swiss telecommunications providers must block access to them.
- The ESBK states that players who take part in unauthorised casino games do not commit an offence, but they play at their own risk.
- Casino winnings at authorised casinos are tax-free; lottery and betting winnings are tax-free up to about CHF 1.07 million.
Last reviewed: 5 October 2026.
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Historical development
Switzerland has a long history of restricting casinos. A federal ban on gambling houses dating from 1920 remained in effect for 73 years. On 7 March 1993 voters approved lifting the ban by 72.4 per cent, with the explicit aim of generating revenue for the federal old-age insurance scheme (AHV). Parliament adopted the Federal Act on Casinos on 15 December 1998, and it took effect on 1 April 2000. The authorities received 63 applications for concessions by 30 September 2000; on 25 October 2001 the Federal Council approved seven “Grand Casinos” and 14 smaller casinos (swissinfo.ch).
Online casino games were not permitted under the 1998 Act. In 2012 a new constitutional article on gambling (Article 106 of the Federal Constitution) was adopted, setting out the respective roles of the Confederation and the cantons. Its implementing legislation, the Money Gaming Act, was passed by Parliament in September 2017. A referendum was called against the Act, but on 10 June 2018 voters approved the Act by 72.9 per cent on a turnout of 34.5 per cent (Federal Department of Justice and Police). The Act entered into force on 1 January 2019.
Legal framework
The Money Gaming Act, published in the Classified Compilation of Federal Legislation as SR 935.51, brings casinos, lotteries and betting under a single federal statute. It covers all “money games”, meaning games in which a stake is made in return for a chance of winning money or another monetary benefit. The Act distinguishes three categories:
- Casino games (Spielbankenspiele), such as roulette, blackjack and slot machines, which may be offered only by licensed casinos, on site or online;
- Large-scale games (Grossspiele): lotteries, sports betting and skill games offered automatically, intercantonally or online, which require a cantonal licence;
- Small-scale games (Kleinspiele): small lotteries, local sports betting and small poker tournaments, which the cantons license locally.
According to the Federal Department of Justice and Police, the Act modernised the rules by allowing online casino games, created a legal basis for blocking unlicensed online offers, extended the tax exemption for winnings, and required both casinos and lottery operators to exclude problem gamblers. The cantons must fund prevention and treatment of gambling addiction. Licensed operators contribute around CHF 1 billion a year to the AHV/IV social insurance funds and to charitable causes in culture, sport and social welfare (EJPD).
Switzerland is not a member of the European Union, so the EU case law on gambling monopolies and cross-border services that shapes the law of neighbouring Germany, Austria and France does not bind it in the same way.
Regulators and licensing
Casinos: the Federal Council and the ESBK
Casino concessions are granted by the Federal Council (the Swiss federal government), which also decides on extensions allowing online play. The ESBK, an independent federal authority, supervises casinos, collects the casino tax and combats unauthorised gambling. Before a casino can offer a particular game online, it needs the ESBK’s approval for that game (ESBK, Online gambling).
On 29 November 2023 the Federal Council decided on the concessions for a new 20-year period beginning on 1 January 2025. It granted 22 concessions, including two for new casinos in Lausanne and Winterthur, and authorised 12 casinos to offer casino games online (ESBK, 29 November 2023). Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported that this was the highest number of online authorisations since the new law took effect, and that the casino in Schaffhausen would close (SRF, 2023). The ESBK’s website includes a map of the casinos currently operating online.
Lotteries and betting: the cantons and Gespa
Lotteries, sports betting and large-scale skill games are a cantonal matter. The cantons have joined an intercantonal concordat on money games, which entered into force on 1 January 2021 and established the Intercantonal Gambling Supervisory Authority (Gespa), based in Bern. Gespa succeeded the former lottery and betting commission (Comlot), which had begun its work in 2006. It licenses and supervises large-scale games and, like the ESBK, uses technical measures to block illegal online operators, working with Swiss internet providers (overview of Gespa).
Online gambling and enforcement
The central enforcement tool is access blocking, also called DNS or network blocking: internet providers prevent their customers from reaching listed domains. Under Article 86 of the Act, access to online gambling must be blocked where it is offered in Switzerland without authorisation, including where the operator is based abroad or conceals its location. The ESBK publishes its list as a general ruling in the Federal Gazette; the update of 27 May 2025, for example, was published as BBl 2025 1609 and could be challenged within 30 days (ESBK general ruling, 2025). The ESBK’s page on unauthorised online games shows that lists have been published since 2019 and are updated roughly every three months; the most recent list at the time of review was dated 25 August 2026. Gespa maintains a separate list for unauthorised lotteries and betting.
Enforcement goes beyond blocking. In its review of 2025, published on 19 June 2026, the ESBK reported 28 house searches, 580 newly blocked domains of unauthorised online gambling offers (about 30 per cent more than in the previous year), 209 ongoing criminal investigations and 75 penalty decisions under gambling law (EJPD/ESBK, 19 June 2026).
Position of players
The ESBK states plainly: “Spielende, die an einem unbewilligten Spielbankenspielangebot teilnehmen, machen sich nicht strafbar” — players who take part in an unauthorised casino-game offer do not commit an offence. It adds that players act at their own risk: their stakes and winnings may be confiscated in criminal proceedings against an illegal operator, and the consumer protections of Swiss law do not apply (ESBK, frequently asked questions). The minimum age for casino games is 18. To check whether a website is authorised, the ESBK advises players to consult its list of licensed online casinos: a site that is not listed has no Swiss licence.
Taxation
Casino tax
Casinos pay a progressive casino tax (Spielbankenabgabe) on their gross gaming revenue, defined as stakes minus winnings legitimately paid out. For land-based play, the rate starts at 40 per cent on gross gaming revenue up to CHF 10 million and rises by 0.5 percentage points for each additional million francs, up to a maximum of 80 per cent. For online play, the rate starts at 20 per cent on gross gaming revenue up to CHF 3 million and rises through several brackets to a maximum of 80 per cent. The proceeds go mainly to the AHV/IV social insurance funds; where a canton levies its own equivalent tax, the federal tax is reduced, by no more than 40 per cent of the federal tax owed (ESBK, Spielbankenabgabe).
In 2025 Swiss casinos generated gross gaming revenue of CHF 878 million. Online revenue grew by 1.2 per cent while land-based revenue fell by 3.9 per cent, and casino tax of CHF 353 million was paid to the AHV/IV, 1.3 per cent less than in 2024 (EJPD/ESBK, 2026).
Players’ winnings
According to the Federal Tax Administration, winnings from casino games at licensed casinos are tax-free. Winnings from lotteries and other licensed large-scale games are tax-free up to about CHF 1,071,000; amounts above that threshold are taxed as income in the canton where the winner lives on 31 December. On 5 December 2025 the Federal Council opened a consultation on a reform, implementing parliamentary motion 23.3701, under which large winnings would be taxed separately at the place of residence at the time of the win, to stop winners moving to a lower-tax canton before the end of the year (ESTV, 5 December 2025).
Consumer protection and responsible gambling
Under the Act, casinos and lottery operators must exclude problem gamblers (EJPD). A casino exclusion (Spielsperre) “gilt für alle Casinospiele (landbasiert und online)” — it applies to all casino games, both land-based and online — across Switzerland and, since 7 January 2025, in Liechtenstein. Partial exclusions are not possible: a player cannot be excluded only from online play while continuing to visit casinos (ESBK).
Free, anonymous telephone advice is available 24 hours a day on 0800 040 080 from SOS Spielsucht, run by the intercantonal prevention programme “Spielen ohne Sucht” (SOS Spielsucht). The cantons fund prevention and treatment services through a levy on gambling. Our responsible gambling guide covers general tools for limiting play.
Recent and upcoming developments
- New concession period. The concessions granted in November 2023 took effect on 1 January 2025 and run until 2044, with 12 casinos authorised to operate online.
- Market changes in 2025. The ESBK’s 2025 review describes a casino landscape “in transition”, with closures and temporary shutdowns alongside expansions, while the overall number of casinos remained stable.
- Stepped-up enforcement. The number of newly blocked domains rose by about 30 per cent in 2025, and the authorities carried out 28 house searches.
- Liechtenstein. Since 7 January 2025, Swiss casino exclusions also apply in Liechtenstein.
- Taxation of large winnings. The consultation opened in December 2025 on taxing large lottery and betting winnings at the place of residence at the time of the win had not led to legislation when this guide was reviewed.
Casino listings for players in Switzerland
The table below is generated automatically from our casino database. It lists operators that accept players from Switzerland; inclusion does not mean that an operator is authorised in Switzerland. Only Swiss casinos with an online extension to their concession may lawfully offer online casino games to Swiss residents, and unauthorised sites are subject to blocking. Check the ESBK’s official list of casinos operating online before playing.
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Sources and further reading
- Fedlex, Bundesgesetz über Geldspiele (Geldspielgesetz, BGS), SR 935.51 (official text; accessed 5 October 2026).
- Federal Department of Justice and Police (EJPD), Bundesgesetz über Geldspiele (Geldspielgesetz) (accessed 5 October 2026).
- Federal Gaming Board (ESBK), Online gambling (accessed 5 October 2026).
- Federal Gaming Board (ESBK), Neukonzessionierung der Spielbanken (2023).
- Federal Gaming Board (ESBK), Häufig gestellte Fragen zum Geldspiel (accessed 5 October 2026).
- Federal Gaming Board (ESBK), Nicht bewilligte Online-Spiele (accessed 5 October 2026).
- Federal Gaming Board (ESBK), Allgemeinverfügung betreffend die Einschränkung des Zugangs zu in der Schweiz nicht bewilligten Online-Spielangeboten (BBl 2025 1609) (2025).
- Federal Gaming Board (ESBK), Spielbankenabgabe (accessed 5 October 2026).
- Federal Department of Justice and Police (EJPD), Casinolandschaft im Wandel: Schliessungen und neue Angebote im Jahr 2025 (2026).
- Federal Tax Administration (ESTV), Steueroptimierung nach hohem Geldspielgewinn soll erschwert werden (2025).
- SRF, Bundesrat bewilligt so viele Online-Casinos wie noch nie (2023).
- swissinfo.ch, Vom Spielbankenverbot zur Konzessions-Erteilung (2001).
- Wikipedia, Swiss Gambling Supervisory Authority (accessed 5 October 2026).
- Spielen ohne Sucht, SOS Spielsucht (accessed 5 October 2026).
