Federal Council awards new casino licenses and more of them online
Published: Wednesday, Nov 29th 2023, 16:20
العودة إلى البث المباشر
"Les jeux sont faits" - The Federal Council has issued licenses for gambling operations for the period 2025 to 2044. In future, casinos in 22 locations in Switzerland will be able to offer gambling. Twelve casinos - more than ever before - will be able to offer online gaming.
Speaking to the media in Bern on Wednesday, Justice Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider spoke of a "moderate increase in the offer". Among other things, the Federal Council hopes that the decision will generate higher tax revenue for the AHV.
Casino levies to the public sector amounted to a total of CHF 397 million in 2022. Of this, CHF 352 million was allocated to the AHV equalization fund. Since 2002/2003, the AHV has received funds totaling CHF 6.3 billion.
According to Baume-Schneider, the casinos' offerings are also accompanied by an economic and tourism boost at the locations. "This means there are attractive entertainment options in all regions of the country." At the same time, the new award will ensure that the casinos uphold the protection of players and the security aspect. It is about continuity and stability.
No casino in Schaffhausen
The casino landscape will remain largely unchanged in the future. Only in Lausanne and Winterthur will two new casinos be added from 2025. Schaffhausen, on the other hand, will no longer have a casino. The Federal Council has followed the recommendations of the Swiss Federal Gaming Board (SFGB) throughout.
Most recently, a total of 27 applications were under review for the licenses to be awarded in 22 zones. The application submitted for the Schaffhausen zone was not complete. The Federal Council therefore decided back in April not to consider this application.
The city of Lausanne also announced in spring that it did not want a casino on its territory. One applicant subsequently withdrew its application. In the end, Projet Casino Prilly AG in the neighboring municipality of Prilly in Lausanne was selected for this zone.
Previous users have an advantage
In the vast majority of zones, the existing casinos are allowed to continue operating. In most cases, only the current license holders applied for a new license. All of them fulfilled the statutory licensing requirements, as SFGB President Fabio Abate said.
The existing casino operators in the Baden-Aarau, Bern, Bernese Oberland East, Geneva, Fribourg, Jura, Lucerne, Lugano, Locarno, Mendrisio, Montreux, Neuchâtel, North Grisons, South Grisons, Sarganserland, Schwyz and Zurich zones will be allowed to continue operating their casinos beyond 2024. Only one company applied for the license in the newly created Winterthur zone, and the Federal Council also accepted this application from Swiss Casinos Winterthur AG.
In the four zones of Basel, Lausanne, St. Gallen and Valais, where several applicants had applied, the applications were assessed and evaluated based on the competitive situation. According to Abate, this involved, for example, the business and social concept as well as the company management. According to Abate, the fact that the previous operators prevailed has to do with a "home advantage".
Online offers "slowly reaching the limit"
The Federal Council awarded ten type A and twelve type B licenses. In casinos with a B license, the maximum stake for slot machines is limited to CHF 25; in casinos with an A license, it is not. The cantons where B casinos are located receive part of the casino levy, while the rest goes to the AHV. In the case of A casinos, the entire casino levy goes to the AHV.
There is more competition in the online sector with the new licensing decision: twelve casinos have now been granted permission to offer casino games online. This is the highest number since the new Gambling Act came into force in 2019, with the addition of online offerings from the casino in Locarno and St. Moritz. "We are slowly reaching a limit in the online sector," said Abate.
According to Baume-Schneider, the Federal Council is aware that certain cantons do not feel that their demands have been adequately taken into account. This is one of the reasons why a report is to be presented in five years' time to explain how things are progressing in the Schaffhausen and Valais zones, for example. However, today's decision concludes the procedure for the reallocation of casino licenses, which was opened in 2022. The Federal Council's decision cannot be appealed.
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