Switzerland and Liechtenstein have implemented an agreement to strengthen protections against gambling addiction, which will take effect on January 7, 2025.
Individuals who are banned from terrestrial or online casinos in one country will be restricted from gambling in the other, according to the agreement.
This bill will expand Switzerland’s nearly 100,000 existing gambling bans to include Liechtenstein’s casinos, while Liechtenstein’s bans will be reciprocal in Switzerland.
Swiss casinos are obligated by law to remove players who show signs of gambling addiction, gamble above their means, or fail to reveal their financial situation. The same procedures apply to people who voluntarily ban themselves or are reported by worried family members.
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Affordability checks, which need confirmation of financial stability, are a critical component of this procedure. Players who fail to comply with these tests or whose financial information shows instability will be automatically excluded.
The Swiss Casino Association hailed the deal as an important step toward full player protection. A spokeswoman stated that in the past, those forbidden in Switzerland frequently crossed the border to gamble in Liechtenstein.
The two countries’ collaboration attempts to address long-standing issues related to gambling regulation. Casinos in both nations will now share exclusion lists, allowing them to implement prohibitions more efficiently.
Officials see this cross-border approach as a potential model for wider European adoption, with the goal of expanding such accords to other adjacent nations.
While the deal represents progress in combating gambling addiction, it fails to address the rising problem of unlawful internet gaming. Unlicensed foreign operators currently account for around 40% of the Swiss online gambling market.
These sites work around local gambling regulations, allowing people on exclusion lists to continue gambling without limits. Furthermore, these operators avoid paying taxes in Switzerland, which complicates regulatory issues.
The Swiss Casino Association has asked for harsher sanctions against these black-market networks, encouraging authorities to step up efforts to combat unlawful activity.
The group has also lobbied for the development of a legal framework to expand gambling prohibitions to other European countries.
The surge in unlawful gaming is not limited to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Other European countries, like as Germany, Sweden, and Belgium, have reported similar concerns, with unlicensed platforms capturing large chunks of the market.
Despite local regulators downplaying the seriousness of the problem, industry experts warn that the proliferation of illegal enterprises jeopardizes player protection and legal gambling profits.
Over the last two decades, Swiss casinos have imposed 100,000 gaming bans to reduce excessive gambling and safeguard vulnerable individuals.
By extending these bans to Liechtenstein, the new agreement broadens the breadth of player protection while emphasizing affordability checks as a foundation of responsible gaming.
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