Swiss Online Casino

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There are two levels of gambling laws in Switzerland — federal and cantonal (state). Casino licenses are given through the Swiss Federal Casino Commission (ESBK). Lotteries and sports betting are managed through Comlot, the Swiss Lottery and Betting Board.

Online

Online casinos are the digital counterpart to traditional casinos. They are becoming increasingly popular among Swiss gamers as they can play their favourite casino games instantly online and without further ado. Games are accessed via the Internet. Playtech, Microgaming, NetEnt and 21 more. 1xBet Casino is an online casino powered by a large variety of software providers, including NetEnt, Microgaming, Playtech, Play'n GO, IGT, Playson. Check out available Bonuses in Switzerland.

Mycasino is a brand of Grand Casino Luzern AG and a Swiss online casino with an official concession, based on the additional concession no. 326-12-01 dated granted by the Swiss Federal Council for the online operation of casino games. UID: CHE-108.361.212. SoftSwiss is a gambling software developer that offers a complete solution for opening of an online casino. We create software for management of casino websites, and provide full service and support of the online casino. Talk to us: +0832.

In 2018, the Money Gaming Act was passed to block the IP addresses of foreign gambling sites. This was done to force operators to pay their fair share of taxes.

The law went into effect in January 2019 with a transitional phase allowing some sites and apps to remain accessible through June. As of the end of June, all unlicensed gambling options are blocked.

Federal Gambling Law in Switzerland

Swiss Online Casino

The federal gambling law is the Federal Act on Gambling (Gambling Act), or BGS. There have been three major updates to that law.

  • 1923: Lotteries are allowed on the state (canton) level. Proceeds from the lottery must be used for the public’s benefit. In 1937, totalizator betting on horse races was offered by the lottery as well.
  • 1998: Casinos are allowed. Casinos can be private, for-profit companies. This law allows slots, card games, and other traditional casino activities.
  • 2018: Online gaming is legal! Access to unlicensed sites and apps will be blocked.

It’s important to note that Switzerland doesn’t have any monopolies. There are two lotteries and a large number of individual casinos and casino chains. At the time of this writing, both of the lotteries and none of the casinos have an online gambling presence.

We’re excited to see what the casinos come up with. We’re hoping for some creative partnerships with leading online gaming companies. It could be a win-win-win situation. But we’ll get into that in the slots section below.

Card Games

Poker players get both a trick and a treat in the new law. The treat is that small, in-person poker tournaments are now allowed outside of casinos. These tourneys will have strict limits on buy-ins, the number of players, and more. It’ll be up to each canton to decide whether to allow these tournaments and if so, what rules to set.

The trick is that online poker is now subject to the same laws as other gambling. Access to foreign sites will be blocked by the middle of the year. So practicing online will get harder, but playing in person will be easier.

The new law differentiates between automated sports betting and local sports betting. It specifically calls out online betting as part of its scope. Similar to poker, punters get a mixed bag. You can now bet on the local match at the stadium or field.

But your access to online bookmakers will be extremely limited. We’re hoping that Swiss casinos will create smart partnerships with some of the better names in the business. That way, you retain access to a variety of lines and odds, the bookmakers keep the market competitive, and the casinos can bring their sports betting options to the market in time. Everybody wins!

Check out our picks for the best Swiss sports betting sites.

Switzerland has two lottery organizations, Swisslos and Loterie Romande. Each lottery serves a different section of the country. Swisslos covers the German and Italian-speaking cantons, while Loterie Romande caters to the French-speaking cantons.

Each lottery has a slightly different offering to better serve their customers. Loterie Romande works closely with France’s PMU to push horse racing bets, where Swisslos focuses on general sports bets with their Sporttip program, for example. Both lotteries offer a variety of retail options as well as a broad online site.

More than 4,000 slot machines grace the halls of 21 casinos across the country. They generate more than 80% of the amount bet at all Swiss casinos! However, there’s a lot of competition from German and Austrian casinos as well.

Swiss gambling law offers two types of casino licenses. Class A casinos have a full spectrum of games available to them and are usually in big cities. If you see a Grand Casino in Switzerland, you’re in a Class A casino. Class B casinos are usually smaller, with fewer table games and lower jackpots.

Online Gambling

As mentioned, the online gambling law in Switzerland just changed last year to allow legal online gambling. The lotteries already have their sites up and running. The casinos will have their offerings available by the middle of the year.

In the meantime, international sites are still accessible from Switzerland. We believe that many Swiss casinos will partner with existing online operators to get to market quickly. So the question is: which ones? Our list of top Swiss online casinos is a good place to get some ideas.

Casino

Where can I gamble in Switzerland?

Swiss online casino bonus

With the new law, you can gamble anywhere in Switzerland! There are land-based casinos across the country. You can get lotto tickets and participate in sports betting at newsstands and tobacconists on nearly every corner.

Even better, with the new Swiss online gambling law, it’s 100% legal to gamble online! While the law will eventually block access to sites that are not licensed in Switzerland, right now, you can still legally access them. So get in while the getting’s good!

There’s an overview of Swiss gambling laws. Casinos are legal, sports betting and lottery are legal, and online gaming is now legal! There’s still time to enjoy all the international online casino providers, so register and play while you can.

Swiss Online Casino

We’re looking forward to seeing how the Swiss casinos bring their online offerings to market. While Swiss Casinos Group has already found a partner, other operators have not shared their plans.

If you want chocolate, yogurt, a very expensive watch or a bank that asks no questions Switzerland is the place to go. If you are looking for an online casino regulated or based in Switzerland you will be out of luck. It is illegal to operate an online gambling establishment in Switzerland. We’ll look at the law closer a bit further on, but don’t worry if you are Swiss and want a game of roulette in the comfort of your own home there are many online casinos that accept the Swiss. Hundreds of sites have German, French and Italian language options and readily let the Swiss play. So whichever canton you hail from you will be able to find an online casino to suit you. At least 1/5th of the Swiss population gamble regularly and a staggering 50% play the lottery. Despite the image of the stoic Swiss they love a gamble.

Neutrality Even When it Comes to Switzerland’s Casino Sites

The Swiss like to sit on the fence. The grass is green on both sides, let’s make money from everyone. Long known as one of the wealthiest countries in the world the Swiss economy runs like one of its timepieces. The country is recession proof without being belligerent or biased to any other country. Switzerland looks after itself very well indeed. Although running an online casino is illegal in Switzerland it’s not illegal to gamble online. The Swiss authorities also consider that the mere fact that accessibility to offshore gambling sites does not mean they are taking place in Swiss territory. Ergo the Swiss gambling laws don’t apply. This all means that any operator can accept Swiss players without fear of prosecution. It is also illegal to process financial transactions with online casinos but there is no system in place to regulate or prosecute. Banks simply go ahead and deal with the transactions.

Best Online Casinos in Switzerland
1EU Accepted€300
Bonus
200+
Games
150+
Mobile
97.21%
Payout
2EU Accepted€300
Bonus
150+
Games
100+
Mobile
96.45%
Payout
3EU Accepted€1,750
Bonus
120+
Games
80+
Mobile
96.50%
Payout

Banking Methods Available for Players in Switzerland

When looking into the best Swiss online casinos the choice of banking options has to be a high priority. Banking is part of the Swiss culture and as such most have a very good knowledge of finance. When you want to sit at the virtual tables you don’t want any extra cost. Your bankroll should be there to play with. Choose a site that will allow you to play in Swiss Francs. The conversion fees can be high if a site only uses dollars or euro. There are many to choose from and some of the biggest names in the business happily deal in CHF. It is after all one of the most stable currencies in the world. Because Swiss banks ignore legislation all of the standard deposit methods are available. You can deposit and withdraw with credit or debit cards. Wire transfer, e-Wallets, pre-paid cards and pretty much every available electronic payment method there is.

Swiss Online Casino Schweiz

Protect Yourself With Research

The Swiss don’t rush into anything. When it comes to gambling with an online casino the same applies. Because there are no actual Swiss online casinos your due diligence has to take into the fact that your own government will not help in the event of fraud. Just because a casino is licensed does not mean it is a fair and safe place to gamble. It matters a lot where the license is issued. Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, Alderney and Malta are currently the strongest authority outside of the UK. These regulatory bodies have strict criteria when issuing certification. They also audit regularly and investigate complaints. Licenses do get revoked. Then there is Curacao. Any casino that has a license issued by this nation needs to be viewed with extreme caution. Curacao issues business licenses to anyone who applies. There is no regulatory body. No audits are performed, there’s no way to even contact them to make a complaint. Many rogue online casinos have had their licenses revoked by one body just to get a new one from Curacao.

Swiss Online Casino

Safety and Security in Online Casino Switzerland

The Swiss may be a neutral country but that doesn’t mean they take security lightly. The Catholic Church understands this the Vatican is kept safe by the Swiss Guard. This translates to personal information too. The Swiss value privacy as highly as anyone, try getting any details from a Swiss bank and you will understand. When you sign up with an online casino you will have to give out personal details. The registration form must be a secure page. If it doesn’t have the https prefix and a green padlock icon in the address bar don’t sign up. All reputable online casinos take great measures to protect an individual’s privacy. Banking standard encryption is the norm with multi-layered firewalls and independent security testing at the best. Look for a logo from one of the online security specialists like Thawte it will give piece of mind.

The Future Of Swiss Online Casinos

The past has shown that laws in Switzerland don’t change that often. The previous gambling act lasted from the 1920’s right up till 1994. There are proposals to change current legislation and remove the ban on online gambling. However this will be very restrictive limiting licenses to those who already have a terrestrial license. The government has said it will block foreign sites that don’t have the correct license. So this all means it may well be harder to access an online casino in Switzerland once it is legalized! None of these changes are expected any time soon in fact the draft for the changes came out in 2014 and are not expected to be in place before 2019. This is a little worrying for the average punter that likes roulette of an evening. There’s a very good chance that the new laws will reduce competition and choice. In an industry that is kept fresh and healthy by its vigorous competitive nature it could well stagnate if these changes happen. It would be very ironic if legalization sounds the bell on Swiss online casinos.