Online gambling is legal in Switzerland, but only through a small number of Swiss-licensed operators. Under the Federal Act on Money Games (Geldspielgesetz / BGS), in force since 1 January 2019, a company may offer online casino games only if it holds a Swiss land-based casino concession plus an online extension approved by the Federal Gaming Board (ESBK). Only around ten such online casinos are authorised. Foreign-based (offshore) casinos are illegal to offer to Swiss residents and are actively blocked, so “legal” here means a tightly regulated, domestic-only market.

Who regulates gambling in Switzerland

Two authorities share oversight. The Federal Gaming Board (ESBK) regulates casinos, including their online extensions. The Swiss Gambling Supervisory Authority (Gespa) — renamed from Comlot on 1 January 2021 — is the intercantonal regulator for large-scale lotteries and sports betting. In 2018, Swiss voters approved the gambling law with about a 73% majority in a national referendum, endorsing both the licensing model and the blocking of foreign sites.

Licensed vs offshore sites

Switzerland has no standalone online gambling licence. To operate online, a firm must first hold a land-based casino concession and then obtain an online extension — a “piggyback” model ensuring every legal operator has an accountable physical presence in Switzerland. Everything else is offshore and unlicensed for Swiss players. Internet providers are legally required to block blacklisted sites; the ESBK/Gespa DNS blacklist had grown to nearly 3,000 domains by early 2026. Playing on an offshore site sits outside the regulated market and removes Swiss player-protection and tax advantages.

Payment methods locals use

Legal Swiss casinos settle in Swiss francs. Common rails include debit/credit cards (Visa, Mastercard), Swiss bank transfer, TWINT (a widely used Swiss mobile-payment app) and PostFinance. Because operators are Swiss-regulated, deposits and withdrawals run through domestic banking with standard identity checks.

Crypto gambling status

There is no dedicated crypto-gambling regime in Switzerland, and the licensed .ch casinos do not offer cryptocurrency as a standard payment method. Cryptocurrency itself is legal and regulated: FINMA treats crypto activities under existing anti-money-laundering and financial-market law. But a crypto-only casino operating from offshore is still unlicensed for Switzerland and liable to be blacklisted. In short: crypto is legal to hold and use generally, yet it is not a route into legal Swiss online casinos.

Tax on winnings

Source of winningsTax treatment
Swiss-licensed land-based (table) casino winningsTax-free, no upper limit
Swiss-licensed online casino participationTax-free up to CHF 1 million; excess taxable
Approved lotteries / sports betting (Swisslos, Loterie Romande, EuroMillions)Tax-free up to CHF 1 million; excess taxable
Permitted small-scale (non-online) gamesTax-exempt
Unlicensed foreign operatorsFully taxable

The CHF 1 million threshold is set at federal level, and the cantons have harmonised their tax laws to the same limit since 2019. This is general information, not personal tax advice — confirm your situation with a Swiss tax adviser.

Safer gambling and getting help

Swiss operators must run player-protection programmes, including self-exclusion. If gambling stops being fun, free confidential help is available: the SOS Spielsucht service runs a 24-hour freephone helpline on 0800 040 080 (German-language) and online advice at sos-spielsucht.ch, alongside Sucht Schweiz (Addiction Switzerland) and cantonal counselling centres.

18+. Gambling can be addictive — please play responsibly. If you or someone you know needs support, contact SOS Spielsucht on 0800 040 080.

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