Switzerland’s gambling regulator, Gespa, has released its 2024 Evaluation Report under the Federal Act on Gambling (BGS), revealing that while online gaming controls remain effective, sports betting presents significant risks to player protection. The report evaluates the two licensed lottery operators, Swisslos and Loterie Romande, focusing on their compliance and protective measures.
Gespa commended both operators for surpassing legal requirements and promoting “controlled and informed gaming consumption.” Notably, mandatory monthly loss limits have proven to be one of the most effective tools, with limits set at CHF 2,000 (€1,940) for most online games and CHF 9,999 (€9,700) for the Swisslos sports betting platform, Sporttip. Despite these measures, sports betting continues to be a high-risk area, with a concentration of players exceeding monthly wallet losses of CHF 2,000 found in this segment. This group mainly consists of young men aged 18 to 29, a demographic particularly susceptible to gambling issues.
Gespa emphasized the ongoing need for robust player protection, especially in sports betting, noting that although average losses slightly declined in 2024, they are still significantly high compared to other gambling forms.
The report also highlights challenges in retail environments, where physical outlets accounted for 77% of the total gross gaming revenue in 2024. Gespa expressed concerns about the difficulty in implementing preventive measures in these locations due to limited real-time monitoring capabilities. The potential conflict of interest among kiosk operators, tasked with selling gambling products while enforcing social safeguards, was also noted. Gespa suggested that banning gambling participation for retail outlet owners and staff could mitigate this risk.
The political landscape reflects these concerns, with Socialist MP Jessica Jaccoud proposing changes to the commission-based remuneration system for gambling vendors. She argued that the current system, which pays 5% of turnover, incentivizes excessive gambling, contrary to identifying and restricting at-risk players. Although her proposal for flat-rate payments was rejected by the National Council’s Science, Education and Culture Committee, Gespa’s findings lend credence to her concerns.
In response to these challenges, Gespa plans to enhance its oversight in 2025 by increasing inspections of land-based sports betting outlets, utilizing mystery shopping operations to ensure compliance with age verification and responsible gaming standards. The report noted a rise in responsible gambling cases logged by Swisslos, with 507 cases in 2024 compared to 387 in 2023, indicating growing vigilance.
Additionally, Gespa will maintain Switzerland’s national blacklist, which includes 2,597 unlicensed gambling domains, as a continued effort to protect consumers and maintain a safe, regulated market.
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