Switzerland is not a particularly easy place for sports betting providers. In principle, there are some betting sites, and the Swiss can still place sports bets on the Internet.
The Swiss have been allowed to block betting providers and online casinos without a registered office or license in Switzerland since July 2019 based on the “Federal Law on Gambling” (Gaming Act).
However, the selection is very limited in sports betting compared to other countries. Hopefully, this text will answer all of your questions about online sports betting sites in Switzerland – where and how to bet.
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Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Switzerland?
Yes! However, the legal situation in Switzerland is somewhat opaque. Due to the legal tightening brought about by the new Gambling Act, online betting in Switzerland is only permitted with certified betting providers based in Switzerland. Nevertheless, there are still – albeit few – internet bookmakers that can be used in Switzerland despite their international orientation and guarantee you attractive sports betting bonus. Swiss betters are not liable to prosecution if they bet with these providers.
The topic of betting taxes in Switzerland is highly tiresome and, at the same time, quite complex. In short, there are taxes on sports betting in Switzerland, as the Swiss government also wants to make money from betting. But in contrast to, for example, Germany, where on the one hand only the stake is taxable, and the betting tax of 5% is usually withheld by the bookmaker directly when the bet is placed or from the winnings, the subject of betting tax in Switzerland is much more complicated.
The regulation is based on the profits made from the bets. Since the Swiss providers do not regulate the tax for you, you must do so. It must be emphasized that the non-taxable allowance of CHF 1,000 only applies if the bet was placed with a local, state-owned provider based in Switzerland. On the other hand, profits made with international online bookmakers are fully taxable.
Winnings from online bets of less than 1,000 Swiss francs within one year are tax-free! However, all winnings of CHF 1,000 or more are always taxable! The amount of the tax depends on the respective tax class of sports betting.
Errors – such as missing bets or incorrect numbers – should be avoided as far as possible in the profit-loss calculation. Because in the worst case, you can be prosecuted for tax fraud, which is not a trivial offense in Switzerland either. While the mandatory documentation of your bets can be annoying, there is a benefit to it. In this way, every player knows how much he is currently in plus or minus and at the same time can gain essential insights for his betting strategies! The overview quickly shows which sports or leagues you have an exceptionally high hit rate with your bets. These should be played more often in the future.
So that the calculation of the betting tax in Switzerland can proceed smoothly, the state makes all sports betting fans responsible. According to the regulations, they must document all bets and list all wins and losses. This makes online sports betting in Switzerland even more complicated and means a not inconsiderable amount of extra work. And not only for legal betting providers in Switzerland but also for you as a player.
Betters in Switzerland are recommended to use a program such as Excel to document their bets so that they always have an overview of their own profit-loss account and save themselves lengthy calculations at the end of the year. Each individual bet can be entered in a corresponding table with the related profit or loss. In particular, those active with several betting providers should follow this advice not to lose track.
On the other hand, if you only bet Swiss francs with a sports provider, you can use the betting history. All bets (including winnings and losses) are listed retrospectively and usually cover six months or a year in this history. It is advisable to regularly download the overview of all sports bets placed from the provider and save it on the computer.
But be careful: the tax-free lower limit of 1,000 Swiss francs (equivalent to just under 910 euros) is quickly reached. For example, if a recreational player wins 20 combination bets spread over the year, each with odds of 5.00 and always with a stake of 10 francs, the 1,000 francs are quickly earned. Of course, losing bets must also be considered, but this example calculation clarifies that the exemption limit can be reached and exceeded faster than expected. And in this case, taxes are due for bets in Switzerland. Even if players regularly win favorite bets with average stakes of CHF 50 to 100, the limit is quickly reached. The total allowance was set very low. By the way, the state wants to use the CHF 1,000 limit to differentiate between professional tipsters and occasional players.
Anyone who earns more than CHF 1,000 in betting profits from sports betting in Switzerland within a calendar year is considered a ‘professional’ and is obliged to state the profits in their tax return. Because in this case, the winnings are regarded as the regular, taxable income and treated as such.
It should be noted that if a bet wins CHF 1,500, for example, the full CHF 1,500 will also be taxed. It would be unlawful to deduct the CHF 1,000 allowance beforehand and only pay tax on CHF 500.
Anyone who exceeds the CHF 1,000 allowance with sports betting in Switzerland or earns as much with their betting activity as others in a regular job should definitely consult a tax advisor. The tax advisor will examine your matter individually and determine precisely whether or how much tax is payable. So you are on the safe side with your bets in Switzerland. Especially those who are only rudimentarily familiar with the tax regulations for betting in Switzerland should heed this advice.
Failure to seek professional advice can result in unpleasant tax consequences. It is conceivable, for example, that at a later point in time, there will be a sensitively high back tax payment for betting winnings, which can put you in financial difficulties. An unnecessary risk that no one should take. Those who secure themselves in good time and with the help of a qualified tax advisor can avoid a lot of trouble when in doubt.
Internationally active bookmakers have a difficult time in Switzerland. This is illustrated by the tax regulations for betting winnings in Switzerland modified at the beginning of 2019. These state that winnings are taxable if they:
Also, the winnings are tax-free if they:
With this new legal regulation, international betting providers and online casinos, and their customers from Switzerland are particularly disadvantaged. This is no coincidence because the Swiss government is rigorously trying to make it difficult for international bookmakers and virtual casinos to enter the Swiss market. And so far, this has been successful because over 60 online betting providers and online casinos in Switzerland have already been blocked since the new Gambling Act came into force. The Swiss Federal Gaming Board (ESBK) has listed the portals affected by the block on a publicly accessible list.
The differences between these top websites for betting and gambling are relatively small, but they are still there. And now comes the crux of the matter: as soon as the most important criteria are met, it mainly depends on the individual taste of a betting site. Therefore, it cannot be said that a specific bookmaker is the best, but these are the most important features every betting site must offer.
Without a license? Hands off!
There are government regulators that take care of the regulation of online gambling and betting and license every good provider. You should only register with sports betting sites in Switzerland licensed to operate.
Under the strict eye of government regulators, there are essential rules that an online bookmaker must follow if they want to get and keep a license.
These rules apply to:
As a Swiss player, you are in luck because there is one of your own Swiss authorities and, therefore, some top online bookmakers who have a license from Switzerland. Some countries do not have their own licenses yet.
Bonus offers and promotions play an important role because these marketing measures differentiate the top bookmakers from each other. However, different priorities apply to each customer at sports betting sites in Switzerland.
If you sign up for a new provider, it should be the least that you get a great new customer bonus. Take advantage of the fact that online bookmakers have to fight hard for their customers as the competition is slowly becoming more fierce. Due to this fact, you can benefit a lot as the sports betting providers have to keep their customers happy with promotions, deposit bonuses, etc.
However, one of our top tips is: always read the T&Cs and Bonus Terms before claiming a deposit bonus or similar. Because every bonus, especially a deposit bonus, is linked to particular conditions found in the terms and conditions. It is there, so to speak, as a safeguard for the bookmaker against excessive losses due to the bonuses. Always make sure you are well informed about these things.
Clarity and aesthetics play an essential role. After all, sports betting should be an enjoyable thing. That’s why customers expect at least one app and, of course, good customer service.
Don’t be afraid to have high expectations in this area, either. It is an absolute must these days that online bookmakers have a great, slick, and highly user-friendly website. All important information should be easy to find, the terms and conditions should be written in clear, understandable German or French, and customer service should always be friendly and helpful.
In addition, mobile betting is becoming more and more popular. Hardly any online bookmaker will be able to stay on the market if it does not enable its customers to bet on a wide variety of sports while on the go.
It is also important that the customer service staff speak German or French well.
When it comes to customer service, we want to have good experiences, not just in terms of employee competence – it also has to be fast enough. If you as a customer have a question, for example about the terms and conditions, the app, or a deposit bonus, then you should not have to sit in a long queue to get an answer. The minimum requirement is a live chat and an e-mail contact address. The icing on the cake is a telephone hotline.
The higher the odds, the better for the player or bettor as the potential winnings are higher.
For betting providers, it is of course not so great from an economic point of view if they estimate high minimum odds. But the providers have to be competitive, and for this reason, it is very similar with the betting odds as with the bonus offers: a constant back and forth between advantage for the house and advantage for the bettors. As sports betting fan, it is your right to only bet with high odds.
Of course, the minimum odds change constantly and are not uniformly advantageous for all sports. If you like to bet on Champions League football, you should of course look for an online bookmaker that offers good odds, especially in football. However, if you prefer tennis, a completely different provider could be the best for you! Here, too, it pays off to make not only a general but also an individual comparison.
Plenty of Choices for Betting, Preferably as Many Different Sports as Possible.
It is also super important that a bookmaker convinces us with the bets they offer. Swiss players often bet on the popular football games of the Champions League, Bundesliga, La Liga, etc. – but diversity in the betting offer is what you need if you want to do well. In this way, many football fans have discovered their love for basketball or other, even more, unusual sports – sports that might otherwise have remained completely under the radar. With a large selection, the betting providers also advertise the various sports and thus broaden the horizons of the customers.
Top bookmakers in Switzerland have more than thirty sports to choose from and offer a variety of different bets. Not just football, but also, for example:
Live betting means you can bet on something after the game has already started – this provides an extra thrill while watching.
Live bets should also be included in the betting offer. You can also place a bet after the game has started and watch the score live on the website. Of course, watching is much more thrilling, because you really get excited and can also better assess the performance of the players and thus further increase the chances of winning a bet. In addition, a live bet has the advantage that you are not kept in suspense for a long time – you know the result of the bet immediately after the game.
So the world of live betting is almost a little universe of its own, and there are many online sports betting sites in Switzerland that focus almost exclusively on live betting. This community is also teeming with good tips and tricks. And some online bookmakers even offer the opportunity to follow the ongoing games directly on their own website via a live stream.
There is real money at stake in online betting in Switzerland, and it is therefore essential for a player-friendly operator to make reputable, fast, and popular payment methods accessible.
In order to get a good rating in the area of deposit and withdrawal, a betting provider should provide as many common payment methods as possible so that customers can choose the one that seems most trustworthy and fastest to them. Here again, there are differences between the customer preferences: for some, it is a priority that the payment provider is as fast as possible. For others, on the other hand, what counts as a good reputation and a high level of security.
The good old PayPal e-wallet is the most popular among the majority of online sports betting sites in Switzerland and its fans. Paypal has been around for a long time, it is accepted across the board, fast, and very tried and tested. In addition, it is free to have an account with Paypal and use it to make a deposit. Other popular payment service providers include:
In recent times, online betting has taken a primate in the betting industry. Why? Because it’s easy and fast. To start betting at any sports betting site in Switzerland, you need to do a few simple things.
In order to start betting, you must first visit the betting site that you wish to bet at and click on the ‘Create Account’/’Register’ button on the screen.
You will then be directed to a form where you need to enter your personal information. So you need to enter your name, email address, desired password, and any promotional codes. You can use this to receive a welcome bonus if a betting site offers it.
You will then receive an email from the betting service with a link that you must click to confirm the opening of your account. Once this is done, you will have full access to the betting platform for the first time.
Next, you need to deposit the funds you want to wager onto the platform. To do this, go to and click on the menu button on the screen.
You will see a menu where you can select your preferred payment method. Among them, you will find options like Sofort, Giropay, MiFinity, Cashtocode, and even cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, or Ripple, based on a betting platform. You can also pay with conventional credit cards Visa and Mastercard.
Once your funds are loaded onto the platform, you should be able to enjoy all the benefits that a sports betting site in Switzerland has to offer. The next step is then to place your sports bets. To do this, click on the corresponding button in the menu bar, usually at the top left.
You can then select the sport of your choice by clicking on the left sidebar menu. Then, in the center of the screen, you will see the matches to the option you chose. If you click on the relevant game, you will be presented with a comprehensive selection of all available bets.
You will then see an option on the platform to select the amount you wish to wager. This way you can see how much you would win if your bet is a success. By including various bets in this section, you have the opportunity to set up combination bets.
When you have finished selecting your odds, click the Place Bet button to place your bets. In case of a win, the money will be credited to your account so you can continue betting or transfer it to your bank account, or any other banking option of your choice, if possible.
As said, due to the competitive nature of the betting market, most betting sites in Switzerland will offer many sports to bet on. Naturally, football will be the most popular one and people in Switzerland will have many leagues to bet on. But sometimes football is not enough as other sports, such as tennis and basketball, can offer great odds and nice chances of winning. Bearing that in mind, here are the sports that Swiss bettors most bet on.
Due to a low betting frequency in Switzerland, people often opt for three different types of bets that can be combined or extended. The three types of bet that Swiss bettors like the most are:
A bet placed on a single outcome in a sports event. It is the simplest and most straightforward type of bet.
Also known as accumulator bets, these involve betting on a series of selections. To win, all selections must be correct.
A type of bet that allows you to make multiple selections and covers all possible combinations within those selections to increase the chances of winning.
Bets placed in real-time as the sports event is taking place, with odds that change dynamically based on the current score and situation.
As is the case with the rest of the world, sports betting fans in Switzerland are of course interested in providing lucrative bonuses. That’s why the Swiss betting providers also advertise with good offers.
A bonus provided to new bettors when they first register with a betting site. Typically includes free bets or a matched bet based on their first deposit.
A bonus awarded to new bettors without any initial deposit requirement. This can be in the form of a free bet or bonus credit for betting.
A bonus that offers a certain number of free bets based on various criteria like deposit amount, betting patterns, or promotional offers.
A bonus that returns a percentage of a bettor's losses over a specified timeframe. This helps mitigate some of the risks associated with losing bets.
What Is the Best Payment Option for Swiss Players?
Due to the specific nature of Swiss betting laws, it is hard to distinguish which payment option would be the best. In this case, it simply comes to personal taste. Swiss players tend to enjoy the services of e-wallets, as many people around the world do, but bank transfers in terms of credit and debit cards are incredibly popular as well.
Since Switzerland is very concerned about security, the betting providers do not tend to allow every payment method for sports betting. Established payment methods, as in most countries around the world, are often used. Which are they? Read on.
Although there are many laws and restrictions, gambling is completely legal in Switzerland.
Gambling in Switzerland is one of the safest forms of online gambling in the world.
Sports betting sites in Switzerland are incredibly safe to bet at due to strict laws and regulations provided by the Swiss authorities.
According to the Swiss Gambling Law, the betting limit is 1000 Francs per month.
All yearly winnings above CHF 1,000 are taxable and should be reported. The gambling history throughout the years must be recorded and taxed at the end of the year.
Winning withdrawals depend entirely on the betting site and a banking method chosen. It is advisable to go with e-wallets as they are the fastest in both deposit and withdrawal processing times.
To find out the best betting site, numerous criteria should be taken into account. Again, which one is the overall best betting site will largely depend on personal taste. What’s important is that the betting site is safe, legal, has great odds, has a great selection of games, and quick payments.
Due to the competitive nature of betting sites, many will offer various sports to bet on. The most popular sports in Switzerland are football, basketball, ice hockey, and tennis, while players can find many more sports to bet on.
Like in many countries in Europe, betting odds in Switzerland work based on winning probability. The more likely a team or a player will win, the lower the odds. Combining two or more systems of bets to make winning harder will create new and improved odds. The total winning will be calculated by multiplying the odds and the money invested.
In general, sports betting sites in Switzerland rarely offer free bets, but there are some that do. As the betting market is quite uncertain, the betting sites that offer free bets will often change.
The most common way to get a sign-up bonus is to simply register. Once an account is created, a player should be eligible to collect the Welcome bonus. Naturally, certain criteria must be met to collect the winnings, and it is best to read terms and conditions first.
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