A Swiss Think Tank Organization Calls for the Introduction of Online-Only Licenses

One Swiss think tank has issued a number of changes in the country’s gambling laws. Among them is the introduction of online-only licenses for the operators.

The Call for Online-Only Licenses

Avenir Suisse, a think tank for economics and social issues, argued that gambling in Switzerland is often inefficient and politicised. It stated that the politicians decide where the gambling revenue goes. The think tank also noted that a veritable cash distribution industry formed around the two Swiss lotteries.

Its report stated that the distribution of gambling money in the country wasn’t optimal. Next, the study noted that the tax revenue that comes from some casinos goes to different cantons from the ones they operate in.

Another problem that it mentions concerns the fact that many cantons effectively act as operators and regulators. Avenir Suisse then said that the distribution of funds also leads to inefficiencies.

The current costs of managing the lottery funds go between CHF16 million and CHF22 million. On the other hand, the annual friction of the costs of the current system will almost definitely reach several tens of millions.

According to the study, with the rise of online gambling in Switzerland, certain challenges arose regarding the system of regulations. The country splits many regulatory duties between national-level and cantonal bodies. Because of that, the think tank called for changes in three areas.

• First, the government should focus on regulation and not take the role of a gaming operator. It also argued that the government should directly redistribute the proceeds of gambling.
• Second, the country’s two regulatory bodies should merge into a single supervisory body. This includes the ESBK and Gespa.
• Third, the country needs a modular approach to regulation to replace the analogue-first model. Under this proposal, the operators will be free to apply for online-only licenses.