In its 2025 evaluation, the Intercantonal Gambling Supervisory Authority (Gespa) reported that while the player protection measures employed by Switzerland's two lottery operators are generally effective in online environments, there are significant concerns regarding age controls in sports betting conducted at retail locations. The regulator noted that online platforms allow for better implementation and assessment of these protections than traditional land-based channels.
Under Article 84 of the Federal Act on Money Gaming (BGS), Swiss lottery operators are obligated to submit annual reports detailing their player protection measures and assess how effectively these measures are executed. The involved operators are Swisslos, serving German-speaking Switzerland, and Loterie Romande for the Francophone segment.
Gespa's evaluation, an independent analysis of the operators' reports, is performed with their consent but is not mandated. The report included findings from mystery shopping activities, revealing that nearly half of 200 underage test customers successfully placed sports bets at retail outlets. Specifically, self-service terminals were found to be more lenient than clerk-assisted sales, exposing gaps in youth protection at physical locations. Discussions are ongoing between Gespa and the operators regarding potential technical measures, such as the introduction of identity scanners at self-service terminals. Additionally, initiatives like staff training, ongoing mystery shopping, and enhanced age verification tools have been initiated.
In terms of revenue, online gambling comprised 24% of the gross gaming revenue for both operators in 2025, with the remaining 76% coming from physical locations. Monthly net losses for active online players remained stable year-over-year. Swisslos reported average monthly losses between CHF47 ($581) and CHF83, excluding a significant jackpot-related outlier, while Loterie Romande’s averages ranged from CHF56 to CHF75.
Notably, sports betting, offered by Swisslos as Sporttip, represented the highest risk category, showing the largest average losses and the greatest percentage of players with monthly losses exceeding CHF2,000. This demographic is primarily young and male, factors identified by Gespa as increasing vulnerability to gambling-related harm. The risks of sports betting, particularly with features like cash-out that may promote impulsive decisions, require ongoing scrutiny.
Both Swisslos and Loterie Romande impose mandatory monthly loss limits across various products, including caps of CHF2,000 and CHF900 for specific games, alongside a general deposit limit of CHF10,000. A minimal percentage of players reached these limits; Swisslos noted that just 82 players, amounting to 0.23% of those under the CHF2,000 cap, hit it at least once, while Loterie Romande found 160 such instances or 1%. Temporary self-exclusions were utilized by 0.57% of active Swisslos online players and 0.6% of those with Loterie Romande.
Automated early-warning systems identified 3,048 players (0.47% of active Swisslos users) and 220 players (0.12% for Loterie Romande) who may require monitoring. In terms of regulatory action, Swisslos implemented 76 gambling bans under Article 80 of the Federal Act on Gambling in 2025, a rise from 39 the previous year, while Loterie Romande enforced 65 bans, up from 56 in 2024. Many of these bans occurred at the players' requests.
Changes have been made by both operators: Loterie Romande updated its monitoring tool to a system from Sustainable Interaction, which assesses players’ data and self-test results to produce a risk score. Conversely, Swisslos introduced warnings for users trying to make multiple deposits within a week and enhanced their information and blocking tools, promoting software like Gamban and Net Nanny.
Gespa commended a recent measure from Swisslos to lower the maximum monthly loss limit for Sporttip customers aged 18 to 21 to CHF1,000, effective from March 2026.
Regarding profit, Swisslos and Loterie Romande declared a combined net profit of CHF814 million in 2025, reflecting a 4.7% decrease from CHF854 million in 2024. Swisslos' net profit dropped 5.7% to CHF562 million, while Loterie Romande reported a 2.3% decline to CHF252 million.
According to Swiss federal guidelines, these profits are allocated by cantons for public benefit initiatives, including those in culture, social services, and sports. Looking ahead, Swisslos is set to engage in a research project to study banned players' behaviors and the efficacy of exclusion methods during 2026-27. Concurrently, the Federal Office of Statistics plans a national gambling behavior survey in 2026, with results expected in 2027.
