The Switzerland federal council granted new licenses to all Swiss casinos in 2025. This decision came after a meeting of casino industry delegates on May 22. The existing permits are valid until the end of 2024. The new licenses take effect in 2025 and have a 20-year validity.
According to casino pay per head experts, Prilly and Winterthur were approved as new casinos. Winterthur became the new site as Schaffhausen did not apply for a license. According to Gerhard Pfister, president of the Swiss Casino Association, the new licenses are a watershed event in Switzerland’s gaming history.
The Swiss Casino Association has also welcomed the Zurich, Schaffhausen, St. Gallen, and Pfäffikon venues of the Swiss Casino Group, which was a unanimous decision. Once Winterthur is open for business, it will apply to join the Swiss Casino Association.
New Licenses to All Swiss Casinos
This signifies that the Swiss Casino Association now counts all twenty-one brick-and-mortar establishments and ten virtual ones as members. According to Pfister, the increased cooperation amongst all Swiss casinos will be good for business.
Revenue from Switzerland’s land-based venues fell somewhat in 2023, but internet casinos grew significantly from the previous year. The gross gaming revenue (GGR) for land-based venues was $681.2 million last year. There was a decline of 1.1% from the prior year.
However, the ten online casinos’ GGR totaled CHF286 million, up 14.3 percent from the previous year. The Swiss Casino Association has observed that, like other sectors, gaming is shifting consumer preference away from brick-and-mortar establishments and toward online alternatives. Thus, it is an excellent time to learn how to open an online casino in the country.
In 2023, the state received CHF409.3 million in contributions, an increase of 3% from the previous year, all from casinos. Over the previous two decades, casinos in Switzerland have paid more than CHF8 billion in taxes. That sum has mostly funded the nation’s AHV pension program.
Switzerland Lottery Revenues
This Thursday, Switzerland’s national lottery, Loterie Romande, announced a net profit of CHF 5.1 million for 2023, a rise from the previous year. More than ever, the lottery will provide CHF243.7 million to worthy charities, notwithstanding a 3.4% decline to CHF 420.7 million in GGR for Loterie Romande in 2023. In 2022, the lottery raked in a whopping CHF 435.5 million.
According to Jean-René Fournier, chairman of Loterie Romande, the increase in profit was due to a decrease in marketing and administrative expenses. However, the operator insisted that the income drop was caused by economic and geopolitical uncertainties and that Swiss Loto and EuroMillions do not have lengthy jackpot cycles. According to their findings, 70% of individuals in French-speaking cantons participated in a Loterie Romande game in 2023. With 67% of French-speaking Swiss playing EuroMillions, Tribolo scratchcards, Swiss Lotto, and Rento were the next most popular.
It appears that the Swiss gaming business will continue to develop and thrive. This is a progressive and dynamic business since new licenses are being granted, and casinos work together more through trade groups. Internet casinos and lotteries are adjusting their business practices to meet the demands of a more socially conscious and legally compliant gaming market as the popularity of online gambling grows. Also, it would provide opportunities for entrepreneurs to start a casino in the country.