Casino Locarno has been granted the tenth online casino licence in Switzerland, marking a further expansion of the regulated market under the Federal Gambling Act (Geldspielgesetz).
The approval was sanctioned by the Eidgenössische Spielbankenkommission (ESBK), Switzerland’s Federal Gaming Board, authorising both the platform and games suite of Casino Locarno’s online brand, CasiNeo.ch.
Under Swiss law, both land-based and online gambling operators must obtain federal authorisation in accordance with the Geldspielgesetz (2019), formally known as the Bundesgesetz über Geldspiele (BGS) – The Money Gaming Act of 2018.
The framework restricts online casino licences exclusively to existing land-based casino concessionaires that have received approval within their respective cantons.
Founded in 2002, Casino Locarno was acquired by the Baden Group in 2022. The group operates Casino Baden, which became the first operator to launch an online casino in Switzerland following the market’s opening in 2019.
Since the introduction of the Geldspielgesetz, a total of 10 online licences have been approved by the ESBK. The regulator reopened its licensing window in 2025, enabling Novomatic’s Admiral.ch brand to enter the Swiss gaming market in partnership with Casino Mendrisio.
The ESBK has maintained strict oversight of all online gaming products, with particular scrutiny applied to slot and table game compliance under the BGS framework.
The ESBK also demands that operators must complete mandatory verification checks, including age, canton residency and tax domicile status.
Alongside market expansion, the Swiss regulator has also intensified its enforcement measures to target unlicensed operators, reflecting persistent concerns over offshore competition.
ESBK escalates enforcement
In 2026, the ESBK will focus on a renewed enforcement campaign in coordination with Gespa, the inter-canton gambling inspectorate for lotteries and sports betting.
The initiative will significantly expand its blacklist of illegal gambling domains, which now exceeds 3,000 websites that have been identified as targeting Swiss consumers without authorisation.
The ESBK also confirmed that it will co-ordinate enforcement actions directly with internet service providers across the DACH region to actively block access to prohibited domains, strengthening its technical enforcement measures against offshore operators.
Authorities have complemented enforcement with a national awareness campaign designed to inform consumers of the risks associated with unlicensed gambling.
Advertising seeks to redirect player activity towards licensed operators, reinforcing Switzerland’s channelisation objectives under the Geldspielgesetz regime.
Swiss waiting game…
Authorities continue to back the ESBK’s enforcement drive. However, both the federal government and cantons detail no intention of revising the Geldspielgesetz or its restrictions as questions remain as to whether enforcement alone can sufficiently curb an active black-market targeting Swiss consumers.
A review of the Geldspielgesetz regime may be forced as neighbouring Germany and Austria undertake long-awaited gambling reviews of ineffective regimes in 2026 proceedings that could see Switzerland’s regulatory model under renewed scrutiny.
