French leisure and casino group Groupe Barrière will terminate its Swiss online gambling operations as of 30 October, drawing to a close its GAMRFIRST.ch platform.
The move marks Barrière’s withdrawal from the regulated Swiss iGaming market, where the heritage gambling and leisure group had sought to extend the prestige of its land-based venues of Casino Barrière Montreux, Courrendlin, and Fribourg.
In 2020, Barrière launched the GAMRFIRST.ch platform as one of the first online casino properties licensed under the Swiss Money Gaming Act of 2019. The merger of Barrière’s established land-based presence with a new digital arm was considered one of the brightest ventures in Swiss iGaming. However, the market has proved difficult to scale, with taxes on gross gaming revenue (GGR) rising progressively to as high as 80% on revenues above roughly €125 million.
Industry analysts suggest that the tightening of player protection rules, high taxation, and rising acquisition costs have created a challenging environment even for established brands in Switzerland, many of which generate minimal income from online activities.
Barrière said the decision would allow it to “refocus on core land-based operations”, but provided no further details on the specific factors behind the termination or whether the Betfirst-branded digital ventures would also be affected.
The decision follows a broader pattern of retrenchment from online gambling, with Barrière having already shuttered Barrièrepoker.fr and Barrierebet.fr in France in recent years.
Under Swiss law, only land-based casinos licensed by the Federal Gaming Board (ESBK) are permitted to offer online gambling. Operators must apply for an extension of their physical licence to host online casino games under a specific brand — a structure designed to protect local monopolies and limit unregulated play. Foreign or online-only operators are barred from direct market entry.
Despite its exit, Barrière continues to emphasise its strength in land-based gaming and hospitality, operating 32 casinos and 20 luxury hotels worldwide, alongside the iconic Fouquet’s restaurant brand. The group reported €1.4bn in turnover for 2024, maintaining its reputation as one of Europe’s premier leisure operators.
The closure of GAMRFIRST.ch underscores a recurring challenge for traditional casino groups — translating a century of physical gaming heritage into a profitable online experience. For Barrière, at least, that transition remains unfinished.
