The Swiss Federal Council has granted new licenses to all casinos that applied for renewal on time, extending their operational period by 20 years. Additionally, the country has approved two new gambling establishments in Prilly and Winterthur. The latter will replace the casino in Schaffhausen, which did not apply for a new license.
This decision was announced following a meeting of representatives from the Swiss casino industry. With these additions, Switzerland will now have a total of 22 land-based and 12 online casinos.
Gerhard Pfister, President of the Swiss Casino Association, hailed the council's decision as a "landmark moment." He emphasized that the Federal Government's move recognizes the role of modern casinos in providing safe gaming environments, promoting responsible trading, and delivering significant economic benefits to their regions.
In a related development, the Swiss Casino Group, which operates casinos in Zurich, Schaffhausen, St. Gallen, and Pfäffikon, has unanimously joined the Swiss Casino Association. Consequently, all Swiss gambling houses, both land-based and online, are now members of the association. The new casino in Winterthur will seek membership immediately upon its opening.
Despite a 1.1% decline in revenue for Swiss land-based casinos in 2023, which amounted to CHF 623 million (€629 million), online casino revenue saw a substantial increase of 14.3%, reaching CHF 286 million.
