Swiss residents to decide on prohibiting online connections.
The Swiss Federal Council recently approved a referendum concerning the controversial Gambling Act, which only allows domestic casinos to provide online gaming options. Foreign websites will be blocked. Youth parties in particular were against this.
The primary concern of those opposed to this law isn't related to gambling itself. Instead, they fear a misguided development concerning internet freedom. The Young Finns, Young GLP, and Young SVP formed a joint "Committee Against Internet Censorship and Digital Isolation." This committee gathered nearly 60,000 signatures, which led to a new referendum on the issue. After confirmation and authentication by the government, they reached the minimum requirement of 50,000 valid votes.
They've reached an interim goal. Now, they'll need to persuade the public. The Federal Council has set the vote for June 10, 2018. However, it's uncertain whether the young parties will win support.
Since 2012, the Gambling Act was determined by a referendum. The main focus of the referendum was simplifying gambling laws, changing responsibilities, and distributing revenue between pension and cantons. It was also stated that only licensed operators could offer gambling, which included online gambling but didn't specify how licenses would be received.
Protecting the Homeland Through Segregation
This legislation was enacted in 2016. The Swiss casino industry reportedly exerted considerable lobbying efforts. As a result, the chambers agreed on a solution that primarily benefitted the Swiss gambling industry. Only those with a license to run a physical casino in Switzerland are allowed to offer online gambling. This essentially made the whole existing online casino industry illegal.
Switzerland, like Germany, has laws classifying internet gambling in a certain manner. However, in contrast to Switzerland, Germany does not take action against these sites. Instead, the Swiss added specific regulations into the Gambling Act to target such casinos. Internet providers are legally obligated to redirect their customers to blocking messages when they access the sites. However, game developers argue that they may face the costs of this method and could upset their customers. This is because the internet architecture makes specific blocking time-consuming and often leads to overblocking, which may result in blocking legal websites.
Swiss Users will Have Fewer Options
There was also criticism from digital associations, who are against interfering with internet freedom. The blocks are deemed impractical and can be circumvented with minimal technical skill. Some worried about creating a Swiss Internet in place of a global one. Other domestic industries, like retail or hotels, might also want to ban foreign competition from the internet. This would potentially give the Swiss less choice and lower quality in various industries. This is evident in the online gambling sector, where the legal providers are limited to the physical casinos. They barely have an online presence and are light years behind the quality and functionality of foreign competitors. The most potent argument against the Gambling Act, though, is the emphasis on the advantages of a free internet for everyone, not just players.
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Source: www.onlinecasinosdeutschland.com
