Switzerland to allow land-based casinos to launch online gambling sites

Switzerland’s government has proposed legislation that would officially authorize the country’s land-based casinos to begin offering online gambling services.

On Wednesday, Swiss legislators submitted a bill that would allow operators of the country’s 21 brick-and-mortar casinos to launch online gambling sites. However, the legislation wouldn’t take effect until 2019, a date that Swiss Federation of Casinos called “far too late.”

Switzerland has been contemplating regulating its online gambling market for years now, while criticizing international operators like Bwin.party digital entertainment for continuing to serve Swiss punters without the government’s official blessing. International online gambling operators would be subject to IP-blocking under the new legislation.

As with previous drafts, the new legislation includes a punter-friendly clause that would exempt all gambling winnings, including lottery jackpots, from taxation. At present, both lottery and sports betting winnings are subject to taxation, while casino winnings are exempt.