An evaluation by the Intercantonal Gambling Supervisory Authority (Gespa) for the year 2025 indicates that while player protection measures implemented by Switzerland's two lottery operators are generally effective online, serious weaknesses in age verification persist at retail outlets for sports betting. The report noted that online platforms enable operators to monitor and enforce protections more accurately than physical sales locations.
Under Article 84 of the Federal Act on Money Gaming (BGS), lottery operators are mandated to file annual reports regarding their player protection measures and their effectiveness. The operators involved in this assessment are Swisslos, serving German-speaking regions, and Loterie Romande, which caters to the French-speaking population.
Gespa's evaluation serves as an independent review of these reports and, although not compulsory, is published with the operators' consent.
A mystery shopping initiative commissioned by Gespa revealed that nearly 50% of 200 underage testers managed to place a sports bet at physical outlets, with self-service terminals showing less stringent controls compared to sales assisted by clerks. The findings underline a significant gap in youth protection at retail locations, prompting discussions among Gespa and the operators about implementing technical measures like identity scanners for terminals. Enhanced staff training, additional mystery shopping, and improved age verification tools are also being considered.
The report highlighted that online gambling accounted for 24% of the duo's gross gaming revenue in 2025, while physical outlets generated the remaining 76%. Monthly average net losses for active online players remained consistent year-over-year. Swisslos reported average monthly losses between CHF47 ($581) and CHF83 excluding unusually large jackpot payouts, while Loterie Romande's average losses ranged from CHF56 to CHF75. Sports betting, offered under Swisslos's Sporttip brand, was identified as the riskiest category, showcasing the highest average losses and the largest share of players exceeding monthly losses of CHF2,000. This demographic is typically younger and predominantly male, which studies indicate may be more susceptible to gambling-related harm.
Gespa expressed the need for ongoing scrutiny of sports betting risks, particularly as new features like cash-out may promote impulsive gambling behaviors or create a false sense of control. Both operators have implemented mandatory monthly loss limits across various product categories, with specific caps set at CHF2,000 and CHF900 for certain games. A standard monthly deposit limit of CHF10,000 is enforced across all products. However, only a small fraction of players reached these limits, with Swisslos recording just 82 players (0.23% of those with a CHF2,000 monthly cap) and Loterie Romande documenting 160 players (1%).
Self-exclusion measures were utilized by 0.57% of active players of Swisslos and 0.6% from Loterie Romande in 2025. Automated systems flagged 3,048 players from Swisslos (0.47% of users) and 220 from Loterie Romande (0.12%). Additionally, Swisslos issued 76 gambling bans under Article 80 of the Federal Act on Gambling, an increase from 39 in 2024, while Loterie Romande imposed 65 compared to the previous year’s 56. A significant portion of these bans resulted from players’ voluntary requests.
In terms of operational changes, Loterie Romande replaced its prior Playscan tool with a newer monitoring system developed by Sustainable Interaction, which utilizes up-to-date play data and self-assessments to provide players with a seven-level risk score. Meanwhile, Swisslos introduced deposit-flow alerts for customers making multiple deposits in a week and expanded its range of informational and blocking tools, including software options like Gamban and Net Nanny. Notably, Swisslos announced a reduction of the maximum monthly loss limit for Sporttip customers aged 18 to 21 to CHF1,000 starting in March 2026.
Regarding profitability for 2025, Swisslos and Loterie Romande reported a combined net profit of CHF814 million, reflecting a decrease of 4.7% from CHF854 million in 2024. Swisslos experienced a profit decline of 5.7% to CHF562 million, while Loterie Romande's profit dropped by 2.3% to CHF252 million. Under federal regulations, these earnings are allocated by cantons for public welfare initiatives spanning culture, social services, and sports.
For the upcoming 2026-27 timeline, Swisslos intends to participate in a research project alongside cantonal and industry stakeholders aimed at investigating the behavior of banned players and the effectiveness of exclusion practices. Additionally, the Federal Office of Statistics is set to conduct a nationwide survey of gambling practices in 2026, with results anticipated in 2027.
