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The Swiss sports betting market is still developing. Although betting on sports received the government’s blessing in 2019, the authorities have been stingy with issuing licenses. At the time of writing, only two bookies have received the green light from Gespa (Swiss Gambling Supervisory Authority) to offer sports odds. Foreign bookmakers are banned, but after 2024, they can apply for licenses.
However, some bettors do not have the patience to wait and use VPN to play offshore. We inspected some of the best bookies targeting Swiss sports enthusiasts. The ranking is done according to the range of sports coverage, availability of diverse bonus deals, and safe payment methods. Let’s examine the Swiss sports betting landscape.
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| ⚖️Legal Status | Sports betting is legal and regulated in Switzerland. |
|---|---|
| 🔞Age Restrictions | 18+ |
| 💱Official Currency | Swiss Franc (CHF) |
| 🏛️Designated Authority | Gespa (Swiss Gambling Supervisory Authority) |
| 📊Popular Betting Markets | Football, basketball, and tennis. |
| 💰Taxation | Bettors are not taxed on winnings up to CHF 1 million at domestically licensed bookies. Winnings from offshore sportsbooks are subject to income tax. Operators pay a basic tax rate of 20% on gross gaming revenue, but can go up to 80%. |
| 🏪Betting Shops | Swisslos and Loterie Romande exclusively run betting shops. |
| 🌍Foreign Operators | Foreign bookmaker’s URLs are banned, but offshore betting is generally not prosecuted. |
| 💻Online Betting | Switzerland offers a licensed online sports betting market. |
| 🆘 Gambling Addiction Resources | Support is available through the Swiss Association for Gambling Addiction |
Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Switzerland?
Sports betting is legal in Switzerland. However, up to 2024, only Swisslos and Loterie Romande were licensed to legally offer online sports betting. Licenses are issued by Gespa, and each canton can decide on the maximum number of sports betting operators.
| Key Factors | Details |
|---|---|
| 📜Regulating Law | Federal Act of Money Games |
| 📑Licensing and Operators | Licenses are issued by Gespa (Swiss Gambling Supervisory Authority) |
| 💰Taxation | Operators pay a basic tax rate of 20% on gross gaming revenue but can go up to 80%. Player winnings under CHF 1 Million are tax-free at license bookies, but winnings from foreign operators are taxable as income. |
| ⚠️Penalties for Violations | Illegal gambling is punishable with up to three years of imprisonment or a monetary penalty up to CHF 500,000. |
Putting in the effort upfront to find the best Swiss sportsbook will pay dividends in your future betting endeavors. You can use our set of research criteria to evaluate bookies and track down reliable operators that can appeal to your preferences. Study our parameters to learn how to test sportsbooks like an expert.
There are government regulators that take care of the regulation of online gambling and sports betting and license every good provider. You should only register with sports betting sites in Switzerland licensed to operate.
Bonus deals play an important role in differentiating the top bookmakers from average ones. If you sign up at a new bookie, you should be treated to a large welcome bonus. Bonuses should not stop with the sign up bonus. Keep searching for regular distribution of free bets and reload bonuses. Examine the playthrough, max win and expiration date to get a full picture about a promotion program’s capability to boost your betting sessions.
Design aesthetics play an essential role. After all, sports betting should be an enjoyable thing. 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. You need access to a native iOS and Android apps and reliable customer service.
It is also important that the customer service staff speak German or French well.
The higher the odds, the better the winning potential. Compare the available betting lines, aiming to find the best offer on the market. Odds go hand in hand with covered sports. Popular European and USA leagues must be included in the menu. Swiss players often bet on the popular football matches from the Champions League, Bundesliga, La Liga, etc. However, diversity in the betting offer is what you need if you want to have a comprehensive experience. The range of betting markets must include moneyline, totals, point spread and proposition bets.
There are real money at stake in Switzerland sportsbooks, 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. Place a premium value on fast processing of withdrawal requests and favorable transaction limits.
Do not be anxious if visiting an online sportsbook for the first time. The experience is designed to be intuitive. However, we can give you a head start by outlining all the necessary steps, from signing up to submitting a betting ticket.
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 on the platform. To do this, click on the ‘Deposit’ button located in the top right corner of the header.
You will enter the cashier and see a menu with accepted payment methods. Find a provider that works best for you and enter the deposit amount. The money will be infused into your balance in minutes.
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. 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.
When you have finished selecting your odds, click the Place Bet button to place your bets.
In case of a win, the money is credited to your account, and you can continue betting or transfer the funds to your bank account. Open the cashier and select the withdrawal option. Pick a banking method and input the payout amount, ensuring you are within the approved transaction limits. The bookmaker will review the withdrawal request. If everything is in order, the operator will authorize the transaction within 1 to 3 business days.
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.
The betting types at Swiss bookmakers align with the industry standards. You can use pre-match or in-play bets. Here are the preferred bets for compiling a betting slip:
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 interested in securing lucrative bonuses. That’s why the Swiss betting providers offer a broad repertoire of bonus offers. The usual promotions you will encounter include:
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?
Swiss players tend to enjoy the services of e-wallets, such as the domestic provider TWINT and internationally acclaimed PayPal.
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. Below are the most popular payment methods used in Switzerland:
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 Million 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.
There are many options to find help in Switzerland for tackling gambling addiction. Help is available in both German and French so everyone can get adequate help. The main helpline is www.sos-spielsucht.ch but calling a therapist is always a good option.
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