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title: "Switzerland — Market entry in practice: How hard is entry, really? | advennt.io"
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# Switzerland — Market entry in practice: How hard is entry, really? | advennt.io

[Jurisdictions](/jurisdictions/) › [Switzerland](/jurisdictions/switzerland/) › Market entry in practice

# Switzerland Gambling — Market entry in practice: How hard is entry, really?

Key section parameters

Jurisdiction Switzerland (CH)

Regulator Recorded in register

Favourability Unfavourable

Confidence Probable

Review status Expert approved · In expert review scope

Last collected 2 Nov 2026

Summary answer

The Swiss Federal Gaming Board (“SFGB”), based on the Money Gaming Act (“MGA”), and the Swiss Gambling Supervisory Authority (“Gespa”) regulate, advise, and provide guidance to individuals and business that offer gambling in Switzerland. Since 1 January 2019, casino games, lotteries, sports betting …

## Full section analysis

The Swiss Federal Gaming Board (“SFGB”), based on the Money Gaming Act (“MGA”), and the Swiss Gambling Supervisory Authority (“Gespa”) regulate, advise, and provide guidance to individuals and business that offer gambling in Switzerland. Since 1 January 2019, casino games, lotteries, sports betting and skill games have been regulated by the MGA and the Ordinance on Money Games (“MGO”).

These laws generally regulate money games in which there is the chance to win a prize or other monetary advantage in return for a stake/monetary transaction to enter the game. The MGA distinguishes between casino games, lotteries, sports betting and skill games. Lotteries, sports betting and skill games can be categorised into large-scale (executed automatically, intercantonal or online) and small-scale games (neither automated, intercantonal nor online) (Art. 2 MGA).

Casino gaming and Poker are namely regulated by the SFGB, whereas Bingo, Betting, Lotteries and Social/Skill arrangements are regulated by the Gespa.

The gambling sector generates a gross annual turnover (sum of all stakes minus winnings paid out to players) of around CHF 2.05 billion. Of this amount, CHF 1.17 billion is generated by the intercantonal lottery companies (Swisslos and Loterie Romande) and CHF 880 million by the casinos. The organisers of intercantonal, automated or online games of skill generated gross gaming revenue of CHF 20.8 million. This figure does not include revenue from small-scale games which is regulated by the cantons.

## Attractions

- Foreign online gambling or betting operators may not apply for a licence and enter the Swiss market independently (with the exception of skill games). Though, foreign gambling or betting operators may get access to the Swiss market by entering into a partnership with a local terrestrial licence holder (art. 46 MGA, art. 31 MGO).

- B2b providers do not need a licence to be able to supply gaming operators with technical means or games.

- Swiss players are very keen on gambling.

- Swiss players may continue to participate legally in online money games provided by foreign online gambling or betting operators (even if the operators are blocked). The circumvention of the blocking measures issued by the authorities is also not punishable by law.

## Challenges

- Highly saturated and regulated market.

- Strictly regulated and regular compliance enforcement.

- To protect the Swiss market and to prevent foreign online gambling or betting operators to offer their services into Switzerland, art. 86 et seq. MGA provide that Swiss authorities may blacklist and block websites of foreign online gambling or betting operators without any license (IP blocking). Starting 3 September 2019, the Swiss supervisory authorities SFGB and Gespa published their blacklists with domain names of foreign online gambling or betting operators. These blocking measures constitute administrative measures and are directed to the Swiss internet access providers (“ISPs”). They affect foreign online gambling or betting operators indirectly as their domains are no longer accessible with a Swiss IP-address.

- The Federal Supreme Court decided (2C_336/2021, 18 May 2022; 2C_91/2022, 18 November 2022) that the blocking measures mentioned above (IP blocking and blacklisting) are conducted in compliance with the MGA and the Swiss Constitution.

- In its latest decisions (2C_90/2022, 30 January 2023; 2C_87/2022, 30 January 2023), the Federal Supreme Court decided that the foreign online gambling or betting operator needs to actively ensure that no player with Swiss domicile can register on the website in order to be removed from the blacklist. The addresses of the players need to be actively verified by the operator.