It is much more difficult to tackle online gambling than illegal poker bars because websites are easy to set up.
Keystone-SDA
Select your language
Generated with artificial intelligence.
Listening: Illegal online casinos on the rise in Switzerland
Swiss authorities have blocked almost 2,000 illegal online casinos since 2019. The Federal Gaming Board says the number of illegal gambling websites is rising and particularly problematic for gambling addicts.
Thomas Fritschi, Head of the Secretariat of the Federal Gaming Board, can’t say how many of these unlicensed online casinos actually exist. “We suspect that we have only identified the tip of the iceberg. We don’t have any concrete figures or even a map of the situation for the whole of Switzerland,” he told Swiss public television, SRF.
The Swiss federal government and cantons are jointly responsible for combating illegal gambling, which makes investigations more difficult and increases the workload. In principle, it is more difficult to take action against illegal online gambling than against illegal poker players in bars or backyards. “The simple fact is that opening a new illegal website is much easier than closing an illegal website,” said Fritschi.
More
More
Winners and losers: sports betting in Switzerland
This content was published on
With Euro 2024 and the Olympic Games just weeks away, bookmakers and punters are looking forward to a summer of betting on sports. But how easy is it to have a flutter in Switzerland?
Most providers of illegal online gambling originate from Gibraltar and Malta. The reason is that “the companies there operate legally. In other words, it’s a legal company, for example in Malta or Gibraltar, that has an online offering that also arrives in Switzerland,” said Fritschi. “It is illegal here. We block this site, but we can’t prosecute the perpetrators.”
The whole thing also has direct consequences for the Swiss social security system. In contrast to the legal casinos, the illegal ones pay nothing into the social security system. Studies estimate that the state loses over CHF200 million ($235 million) a year as a result.
Translated from German by DeepL/jdp
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, if you want to learn more about how we use technology, click here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
Popular Stories
More
Foreign Affairs
How a top Swiss university is screening Chinese students
Media: Swiss medical services done abroad are billed at Swiss rates
This content was published on
In Switzerland, some medical services carried out abroad are still billed at Swiss rates, despite costing less, RTS reports.
This content was published on
Sophie Hediger, a member of the Swiss national snowboard cross team, has died in an avalanche in Arosa. She was 26 years old.
This content was published on
Several Swiss films exceeded the 100,000 admissions mark worldwide in 2024 and received widespread praise at international film festivals.
Swiss Alpine resorts covered in white gold for Christmas
This content was published on
Many areas at low altitudes in Switzerland are enjoying a blanket of snow. In the mountains, intense precipitation has delighted skiers.
SWISS makes emergency landing in Austria after smoke in cockpit
This content was published on
Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) made an emergency landing of an Airbus in Graz, Austria on Monday evening after engine problems.
L’Oréal acquires South Korean subsidiary of Migros’ cosmetics brand
This content was published on
French cosmetics firm L'Oréal is acquiring Gowoonsesang Cosmetics, the South Korean subsidiary of the Migros-owned Mibelle group, for an undisclosed sum.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.