Types of gambling
The term ‘gambling’ covers all types of games that involve wagering a monetary stake or stake with monetary value, or offer the prospect of winning money.
Gambling includes three categories of games: small-scale games, large-scale games and casino games.
Gambling
The Gambling Act (GamblA) and its implementing ordinances came into force on 1 January 2019, following its approval by almost 73% of voters in a referendum.
The term ‘gambling’ covers all types of games that involve wagering a monetary stake or stake with monetary value, or offer the prospect of winning money.
Gambling includes three categories of games: small-scale games, large-scale games and casino games.
Small-scale games: These include small-scale poker tournaments, local sports betting and small lotteries, and are licensed and supervised by the cantonal authorities.
Large-scale games: These include lotteries, sports betting and games of skill, and are licensed and supervised by the Intercantonal Gambling Supervisory Authority (Gespa).
Casino games: These include games that are based on chance, such as roulette, blackjack, poker, punto banco (baccarat) and slot machines. In Switzerland, casinos require a casino licence and an operating licence. Casino licences are issued by the Federal Council, while operating licences are issued by the FGB, which is also responsible for the oversight of casinos.
In Switzerland, the games offered by the Swiss lottery companies are the most popular form of gambling. Further information on this can be found in the following study:
Casino games
Casino games may only be played in casinos and may only be made available to a limited number of players. The best-known casino games include roulette, blackjack, large-scale poker tournaments with high stakes and winnings, and reel-based slot machines, where winning is based on a random combination of symbols. These games can be played in land-based casinos or online.
A portion of the revenue from casino games is paid to the federal government in the form of a casino tax. This tax is used to fund the Old Age, Survivors' and Disability Insurance (OASI).