Switzerland releases contentious blacklist.
After a radical transformation of Switzerland's Gambling Act, the two Swiss gambling commissions, Comlot and FGB, have unveiled their initial blacklist of foreign online gambling platforms. In the future, only land-based casino operators and establishments will be permitted to function in the digital realm. Here's a breakdown of the situation.
Affecting more than 100 websites
The implementation of the Swiss Gambling Act, which passed a referendum in June 2018, is entering its final phase. As anticipated, the country's two regulatory bodies have now revealed an official blacklist for foreign online gambling providers. This list encompasses over 100 websites, including prominent industry leaders such as Bet-at-home, Bet365, and Interwetten. It also includes renowned e-sports betting sites like Unikrn and GG.bet. The sites will be blocked in conjunction with Swiss telecommunications service providers.
Switzerland's revised gambling legislation is considered stringent and took effect at the start of January 2019. The adjustment aims to drastically limit access to foreign gambling sites. Only the 21 domestic casinos and four land-based establishments (Casino Luzern, Casino Baden, Casino Davos, and Casino Zürichsee) will be authorized to offer online gaming. Consequently, all foreign providers will be regarded as unlawful, and their websites will be electronically obstructed. The blacklist was initially disclosed by the SFGB in June. The registry is meant to be continually updated.
Publicly accessible blocklists
Both regulatory authorities have now made their respective blacklists accessible to Swiss citizens, approximately 8.5 million people. At present, the SFGB's list comprises 39 European providers. A supplementary list from Comlot currently includes 65 operators, raising the total to 104 domains. The sites are still available while the blocking process is underway.
Swiss media reports that it's still possible to deposit money and establish new customer accounts. However, this is not advisable. It's claimed that the sites on the list will be discontinued as early as next week. This step is permitted by Article 86 of the new Gambling Act. This provision enables the SFGB and Comlot to block Internet service game creators that are accessible but unlicensed in Switzerland, using a method known as a Doman Name Server (DNS) block.
This controversial law was ratified through a referendum wherein over 73% of voters endorsed the amendment. In the run-up to the referendum, the debate surrounding blocking unlicensed providers sparked contentious discussions, eventually leading to the call for a national referendum. Since then, detractors and industry representatives have contended that site-blocking constitutes censorship and limits European's right to supply services. To avoid appearing on the list initially, several international providers had already severed ties with the Swiss market beforehand.
Partnerships likely for foreign collaboration
Despite the stringent framework, it's expected that Switzerland's online casino sector will restructure itself in the long term - through partnerships with foreign providers. The four authorized Swiss casinos all applied for licenses to extend their online gambling services last April. These applications have recently been approved by the Swiss National Council, allowing these establishments to forge partnerships with European online casino providers. This enables them to establish their own online businesses.
However, these partnerships are subject to stringent conditions: the partner firms must have an impeccable reputation, be licensed in a European country, have never been on the Swiss blacklist, and never been on the blacklist of the FATF (Financial Action Task Force Money Laundering), a group championing financial measures against money laundering.
One company that already holds a prominent position within Switzerland's market is the Malta-licensed online casino games developer Evolution Gaming. In June, Evolution Gaming announced a partnership with the Grand Casino Baden. The aim is to establish the casino's own online platform under the Jackpots.ch domain. The online casino debuted in early July. Marcel Tobler, Financial Manager of Casino Baden, commented:
"Evolution has an outstanding track record of both backing its clients and launching world-class live casino services in regulated markets worldwide."
In addition, the Grand Casino Luzern launched an online casino. To achieve this, they formed a partnership with the Finnish gaming technology company Paf in mid-August. The new brand functions under the domain MyCasino.ch, offering Swiss citizens various live casino offers. Paf can also act as a new "knowledge-based partner" in the industry. The other casinos are also currently seeking potential partners. The landscape is dynamic and continuously evolving.
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Source: www.onlinecasinosdeutschland.com
