The Swiss Federal Council (ESBK) surprised the land-based and online gambling communities by announcing its 20-year casino licensing plans, which include extensions and the initiation of several new licenses across both verticals.

 Switzerland Expands Its Legal Gambling Market

The ESBK announced that it had extended its licenses for online gambling and land-based casinos for another twenty years. An unexpected aspect of the licensing announcement was that in addition to the existing 20 licenses, the country would be awarding two new licenses, one each for Lausanne and Winterthur.

Swiss Casino Association President, Gerhard Pfister, said:

Quote

“The granting of the new concessions is a milestone. The federal government has recognised that today’s casinos ensure safe and responsible operations and generate great economic benefits in their region.”

In an unexpected turn of events, the Schaffhausen zone will not have an active casino provider from 2025 until 2028. This is because the current license expires at the end of the year, and the only new applicant for the period starting 2025 failed the approval process.

Quick Look at Swiss A and B Casino Licenses

With the new licenses, Switzerland now hosts 22 licensed gambling venues. Ten were awarded A-licenses, and 12 received B-licenses.

Here is a quick overview of the differences between them…

A-License Casinos:

1. Casinos with A-licenses are allowed to offer an unlimited number of table games, video poker and slot machines.
2. Given these are premier casinos, they are found in metropolitan areas and tourist destinations.
3. These casinos have the approval to offer high-value fixed and progressive jackpot games.
4. Holding an A-license also means being subject to higher tax rates on total gross gaming revenues.
5. With the higher gambling limits, these venues are required to offer more extensive responsible gambling and AML measures to protect players.

B-License Casinos:

1. B-licensed casinos are allowed to offer a limited of gaming tables and slot machines.
2. These types of casinos are usually found in smaller towns or less populated areas.
3. Holding a B-license means that jackpot prizes are smaller than their premier peers.
4. B-license casinos benefit from lower tax rates on their gross gaming revenues.
5. AML and Responsible Gambling protocols are not as stringent due to their lower limits and fewer casino games.

If you plan on travelling to Switzerland or live there and are interested in where to find the best casinos for your budget, check out the licensing map below.

 Swiss online casinos Get Two New Faces

The expansion of Switzerland's gambling licensees is a positive result for the region. It shows that they see financial value and customer interest and feel it does not create additional risk for the community.

Quote

“Claim Your Bonus: Visit our dedicated Switzerland Online Casinos page to find the latest bonuses, game releases and gaming sites with local support, local and cryptocurrency banking, and more.”

This overall positive sentiment toward legal gambling was proven by the decision to expand the country's online casino licensee roster. The Federal Council extended the existing slate of online casino licenses until 2028 while announcing the addition of two new licensees. 

Casinò Locarno SA and  Casino St. Moritz AG, both licensed land-based casinos, have been approved to begin offering online games of chance as of 2025.