Best Online Casinos in Switzerland for 2024
Be sure, that is a country that many dream of getting into. This also applies to gamblers, because the gambling-driven entertainment business in Switzerland is very well developed and quite strictly regulated, which significantly reduces the risks for players. And this is despite the fact that the government of Switzerland came to legal regulation of this type of activity only 10 years ago! This is what makes gambling-driven business in Switzerland remarkable – its reasonableness and relatively short lifespan.
The first Gambling Law in Switzerland’s history was issued in 1988, then it was adopted at the government level and entered into force two years later of Switzerland. However, the gambling-driven entertainment business in Switzerland as such appeared, not in 2000, but long before that. But, before the entry into force of the law, it was regulated differently. So, the federal authorities of Switzerland could not influence it, and it was controlled by the cantons – the subjects of the federation. Until 1874, the entire territory of Switzerland was divided into 15 cantons, and slot machines and casinos were officially only allowed in one of them. But, considering the only casino operating in Switzerland, the federal authorities had a whole mass of claims, therefore, as soon as the casino license became invalid in 1877, its activity was terminated not without the assistance of Switzerland state bodies.
Since 1872, all gambling-driven establishments in Switzerland were closed, because the authorities were concerned about the likelihood of a strong flow of immigrants and tourist players from Germany, where casinos were banned at the same time. The opening or maintenance of gambling-driven entertainment houses in Switzerland was officially banned, this was even recorded in the Constitution – Switzerland’s main document.
Types of Online Casino in Switzerland
We take the topic of choice between flash casino and downloadable software. Indeed, is it worth it to download casino software to a computer or you can play directly in the browser using the flash version.
It is no secret that most casinos offering both options encourage players to install the program. Some simply recommend this method, while others literally force customers to do this by offering more favorable conditions in this mode (promotions, bonuses, and so on). It is easy to find an explanation for this: if a casino program is installed to the player’s personal computer, the likelihood that he/she enters the institution and does not keep from a couple of bets increases.
However, let’s not deny that the special casino software has a number of tangible advantages, thanks to which the majority of players use just such an option. Here you can mention the stability and speed of work, a wider range of games, fast download and other advantages.
The question whether all this means that flash casinos are much worse than downloaded versions and why they are needed then arises. Who uses them? Consider them in order.
First of all, you can not give a definite answer to the question, which option is better. It all depends on the conditions of use of the casino, personal preferences and a number of other nuances.
Currently, the games in Switzerland offered in online flash casinos and their downloadable versions do not practically differ from each other in quality and functionality. If you notice any differences, they will be insignificant. So this item fades into the background.
Yes, in many flash casinos the choice of games in Switzerland is less than in their downloadable counterparts. But do you often bet in rare games? As a rule, each client has a set of favorite slots, table or card games, in which he/she is gradually improved. Why would such a user have three hundred slot machines, twenty blackjacks and thirty video pokers?
On the other hand, some varieties of games in Switzerland can be found in flash mode, so you will definitely have to download them.
True high rollers prefer casino live format, because here you can be sure of a transparent and fair game.
A key feature of a live casino is a game with a live dealer. At the “other end of the line” you are accompanied by a real person. All this makes the game rich emotionally and creates a lasting feeling of being in a real casino. Of course, this effect is possible only in the case of high-quality, reliable and stable software.
Types of Casino Games for Gamblers in Switzerland
Gambling-driven entertainment attracts people from different parts of the world to the opportunity to win money or other material values. The prospect of getting rich quick seduces many citizens. Therefore, they play in land-based casinos and online sites.
Lottery is a game of chance, the principle of which is built solely on chance. A person will become a winner if the random number generator issues the numbers indicated in his/her ticket.
Lottery attracts players the opportunity to win large sums of money. Sometimes jackpots are estimated in the millions and even in the billions.
At the same time, the peculiarity of slot machines is that the game is played without the participation of casino representatives.
Previously, slot machines were mechanical. Now they are computerized. The game field is a screen where the results of the random number generator are displayed.
During the game, a person rotates the drum. He/she wins money when he/she manages to put together the same characters. A player can get a win, well above the size of the bet.
Some players call this card game a sport, because the possibility of winning depends not only on the case, but also on the intellectual abilities and psychological skills of the person.
Two or more people can play poker at the same time. Depending on the variety of this card game, there are several phases of the game process. At the beginning of each of them, participants must make a bet if they are ready to continue the game. Also at each phase there is a distribution of new cards. After receiving them, the players determine whether they make a new bet or leave the game.
The winner is the player who collects the best combination of cards.
A competitor can also win with a bluff. To do this, having not the best combination of cards, the player must continue to bet. In this case, by his/her actions and appearance, he/she must convince his/her rivals of the opposite. Other players in such a situation, fearing to remain without a win, refuse to participate in the subsequent poker phases.
Now this kind of gambling-driven entertainment is popular in land gambling clubs and online-casino establishments.
The wheel of European roulette is divided into 37 sectors. They bear the numbers from 1 to 36 and 0. On the playing field, there are 36 cells: 18 red, 18 black numbers and “zero”. They are arranged in three rows. During the game, the ball is thrown on a concave rotating drum, which is divided into slots indicating the numbers. When the roulette stops spinning, the ball stops in one of the cells with the corresponding number. This number is winning.
The essence of this type of gambling-driven entertainment is that the player bets on where the ball falls.
Gambling-driven entertainment is varied. There are types of gambling, which make players hope only for good luck, and there are games in Switzerland where the result also depends on the person’s skills. In any case, everyone can find a suitable type of gambling. However, it is important to remember that the main thing during the game is to stop in time so as not to lose all the money.
Online Gambling Laws and Regulations in Switzerland
To organize a gambling-driven entertainment house, you must first obtain two special permits: permission for a specific location and the so-called “operational” permission. Both the first and second permission are issued by the federal government, whose refusal is not appealable. When issuing a permit for the location of a gambling house, the federal government takes into account the opinion of the respective canton and municipality in whose territory the gambling-driven entertainment establishment will be located. Moreover, the future operator must provide their calculations regarding the economic benefits of opening a gambling-driven entertainment house in Switzerland in this particular area. In order to obtain an “operational” permit, the applicant must be provided with a prepared security concept, a social concept, an economic analysis of future activities, and guarantees for the payment of relevant taxes.
The above documents, on the basis of which the federal government decides on the possibility of organizing a gambling-driven establishment, are considered by a special body established on the basis of the 4th section of the Gambling Law – the Switzerland Federal Gaming Board. The council consists of 5-7 members, elected and appointed by the government. The government of Switzerland chooses at least one member. The two board members must be independent experts, i.e. they cannot be members of the board, nor employees of gambling-driven establishments, organizers of lotteries, enterprises engaged in the production and sale of gambling-driven entertainment equipment, etc. The Council is a division of the Switzerland Ministry of Justice. It is the decision of the council that is decisive in rendering a government verdict for one or another applicant.
It should be noted that the federal authorities of Switzerland have a positive attitude towards foreign investment in their gambling-driven entertainment business in Switzerland. Among the foreign operators working in the Switzerland market, Austrian and French companies occupy leading positions.
All gambling-driven houses in Switzerland must comply with the following conditions: before the guest is admitted to the casino, he/she must check his/her documents. Persons under 18, persons whose activities are related to casinos (employees of gambling-driven establishments, as well as employees of Switzerland state bodies controlling these establishments), persons whose game does not correspond to their incomes (sick people) should not be allowed to play. The lists of the above-mentioned persons should be sent to the single register, which is distributed to all gambling-driven establishments in Switzerland.
All casinos are required to maintain their visitors’ gaming accounts, which display full information about the winnings and the client’s losses.
All gambling-driven entertainment houses in Switzerland are fully subject to the law on the prevention of money laundering. All financial operations carried out in the casino are tightly controlled. Gambling-driven establishments are not allowed to issue loans to their visitors.
Advertising gambling-driven entertainment is allowed, but it should not be intrusive. It is not allowed to mention winnings without indicating the risk of the game itself.
A progressive tax system is applied to gambling-driven entertainment houses in Switzerland (the higher the income, the higher the rate), the tax rate is at least 40 percent of the gross income of the gambling-driven establishment. All taxes from the activities of institutions of “A” class go to Switzerland budget.
For the institutions of “B” class provides exceptions to the general rule in Switzerland. In particular, the tax rate for “B” class may be reduced to 20 percent or less under the following conditions: during the first four years of activity; if the income of the institution is used for public or charitable purposes; if the activities of the institution and the economy of the area where it is located, depending on seasonal tourism. Taxes from institutions of “B” class are distributed between the federal budget and the budget of the respective canton.
In conclusion, I would like to say that it is still too early to talk about the results of the work of the Switzerland model. However, the professionalism with which the authorities of Switzerland approached the issues of gambling-driven business in Switzerland deserves respect and careful study.
Best Deposit Methods for Gamblers in Switzerland
It often happens that newbies who have recently registered at online-casino establishments start playing with the use of free chips. However, over time, the excitement increases, so interest in free gaming tables disappears. Users feel confident in winning, as well as desire to put real money.
This is where the problems associated with depositing money into online-casino establishments begin, especially for those who have never dealt with electronic payment systems. This section describes several ways that will help newcomers to understand this problem.
There are so many ways that you can use to deposit to your personal account at an online casino. The most common method is using a Visa bank card. This method is the most profitable fast and convenient. To get such a card, it is enough to apply to any branch of the bank. Making a plastic card will take no more than 15 minutes.
In addition, there is an opportunity to replenish the account with MasterCard cards, however, they have a significant disadvantage. With the help of such bank cards, you can only enter money into the account, but the withdrawal of winnings is not provided, since most gambling-driven establishments do not provide such an opportunity.
To deposit or withdraw funds from a personal account at an online casino, you must enter the card number and fill in the appropriate fields in the form intended for making transactions.
There are a few more ways that will help avoid problems with withdrawing or depositing money into an online casino account. The most popular electronic payment systems currently are WebMoney and MoneyBookers in Switzerland.
The first payment system, WebMoney, is the most reliable and fast one, with its help, you can instantly replenish your account and quickly withdraw the amount won.
The second system, MoneyBookers, is supported by almost all gaming establishments, however, the percentage for depositing or withdrawing funds is the largest of all three systems in Switzerland.
In addition to electronic payment systems, there is such a method as payment acceptance systems that combine several options, such as InterCash and terminals. They are very convenient, so they are mainly used to pay for services and services on the Internet.
It is worth noting that in some online-casino establishments, when funding your account in a certain way, you can get a good cash bonus for the game.
All cash transactions are carried out in semi-automatic mode and are performed very quickly. Do not worry if the withdrawal takes longer than transferring funds to your personal casino account online. This is done specifically to ensure that the user can carefully consider their decision, and if desired, cancel the withdrawal of money in Switzerland.
Accepted Currencies in Switzerland
The Swiss franc is the currency of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The specificity of the franc is that the franc on the bills is signed in four languages. This is due to the fact that in the territory of Switzerland there are a number of official languages: French, German, Italian and Romansh. The franc is issued by the Switzerland Central Bank. The course of the Switzerland franc is floating. The peculiarity of the Switzerland currency is that the Switzerland franc is 40% secured with gold.
By itself, the history of the development of the country monetary system is quite original and interesting.
At a certain point, the question of creating a single currency in Switzerland arose, and in 1850 a new currency, the Switzerland franc, appeared in Switzerland. In 1865, France, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland united in the Latin Monetary Union and agreed to exchange their national currencies in the ratio of 4.5 grams of silver for 0.290322 grams of gold. When the monetary union lost its strength in the 1920s and ceased to exist in 1927, Switzerland adhered to this until 1967.
In the future, the history of the development of Switzerland’s money was quite diverse, the currency all the time then fell in relation to the dollar and the euro, and then stabilized again. The currency of Switzerland is not subject to inflation by legislatively gold and foreign exchange reserves of at least 40%. There was a devaluation of the Switzerland franc on September 27, 1936, which was caused by the Great Depression, when the franc depreciated by 30%.
The currency has been developing quite intensively, the currency itself is quite popular nowadays and is used in other countries.
Coins on the territory of Switzerland were made before 1850, up to this point more than 75 various institutions, including 25 cantons and semi-cantons, 16 cities, abbeys, were engaged in the production of coins.
At that time, there were more than 800 different types of coins in Switzerland.
Soon the monetary system became complicated and confusing, since several banks were involved in issuing banknotes and as a result more than 8000 different copies of banknotes and coins of various denominations were in circulation throughout Switzerland. It was a very big problem, and it was solved with the help of a new constitution, which was adopted in 1848, where it was agreed that the new Federal Government would be the only institution in Switzerland that would issue money. Two years later, a new decree was adopted, which said that the franc was the only national currency in Switzerland.
Thus, we can conclude that playing in online-casino establishments, residents of Switzerland can often use the national currency. Nevertheless, in all casinos of the world, dollar and euro are most often used, which makes currency exchange and simple game even more accessible.
Predictions About the Future of Online Gambling in Switzerland
Parliamentarians in Switzerland are now developing a draft law that would soften the tense atmosphere around the gambling-driven business in Switzerland. The initiators of changes in the law were several mayors from the Federal Council. It is planned to abolish taxes on winnings.
The Parliament commented on the new draft law, noting that, mainly, the provisions of the already existing act will be preserved. As it was before, taxes paid by the casino will be transferred to the basic pension savings in Switzerland. Last year, the amount of such payments amounted to over three hundred million Switzerland francs.
Moreover, in 2017, Switzerland lawmakers legalized online gambling, approving a new law “On cash games”.
According to the previous legislation, online gambling-driven entertainment for Switzerland was not prohibited, as they had access to gambling-driven entertainment services through international operators. New legislation restricts online gambling-driven entertainment to operators located in Switzerland, which means that all foreign operators targeting Switzerland customers will be blacklisted.
Following the new law will provide Switzerland Internet service providers, who will block access to international operators for residents of Switzerland. Also, the new law amends taxation. Winnings from the lottery or sports betting will be taxed only if the amount exceeds CHF1 million ($ 1 million).