Young politicians from the youth divisions of four parties in Switzerland have until January 18 to collect more than 50,000 valid signatures leading to a referendum against provisions of the recently approved Money Gaming Act. The youth groups launched their initiative on October 10, 2017 and so far have collected a total of 65,000 signatures; 25,000 have been certified. Andri Silberschmidt, president of Jungfreisinnige Schweiz, the youth organization of the Free Democratic Party, said the young politicians will collect enough valid signatures to place the issue on the ballot.
The young politicians oppose the provision of the Money Gaming Act that prohibits foreign online gambling companies to operate in Switzerland. Under the new law, only local operators with a land-based presence may apply for a license from regulators and to provide iGaming services to local customers. Swiss online gaming companies that do not have brick-and-mortar properties in Switzerland also are banned from providing their services to local players.
The youth groups particularly oppose the provision that requires Swiss internet service providers to block access to foreign gambling websites to make sure they can’t target Swiss players. The groups claim the ISP block on international gambling websites violates internet freedom. They also said politicians also could eventually block the provision of other internet services, like music and video streaming.
The Money Gaming Act also removes an older tax on lotteries and sports betting winnings; under the new law, only winnings exceeding $1.04 million are taxed. Also, the new regulations permit small poker tournaments to be held outside land-based casinos, and includes consumer protections from gambling-related risks.
