Avenir Suisse, a Swiss think tank is urging reforms to Switzerland’s gambling regulations, including allowing online-only licenses.
The think tank, which specializes in economics and social issues, asserts in a report that Swiss gambling is both politicized and inefficient. It highlights that politicians decide where gambling tax revues go, with a “veritable cash distribution industry,” clustered around the country’s two lotteries, Swisslos and Loterie Romandie.
According to the report, “The distribution of gambling money is not optimal.” It continues, “The cantonal lottery funds regularly finance projects for which the notion of public utility enshrined in the Constitution is interpreted very broadly.”
It also notes that taxes raised by casinos in one canton, might go to another canton that doesn’t host that casino. The report also criticizes the inefficient way funds are distributed.
Online gaming only complicates the challenges created by the confederation’s system of regulations, which are divided between the canton (a division similar to a U.S. state) and the national government.
The report calls for reform in three areas: 1) Governments should not be gaming operators, but should concentrate on regulation, 2) the two supervising bodies, Eidgenössische Spielbankenkommission (ESBK) and Gespa – should be combined into one. 3) A “modular approach” should be adopted in regulation that would lead to being able to apply for a license online.
