ESBK Reports A Drop In Swiss Casino Revenue For 2025

The Swiss Federal Casino Commission has reported a decline in casino revenue for 2025, during a year of transition for the regulated gambling sector. 

According to the ESBK’s annual report, Swiss casinos generated gross gaming revenue of CHF878.5 million ($1.08 billion) in 2025. The total was 2.1% lower than the CHF898 million recorded in 2024. 

Land-based operations are still the largest contributor, producing CHF564.9 million. However, retail casino revenue fell 3.9% year-on-year. Online casino activity recorded modest growth, generating CHF313.6 million, up 1.2% from the previous year. 

Separate Gespa data showed lotteries and sports betting turnover fell 2.4% to CHF3.87 billion, while gross player yield declined 3.7% to CHF1.203 billion.

Casino Levy Contributions Fall In Line With GGR

The ESBK said levy contributions reached CHF263.1 million in 2025, down 2.1% year-on-year. Of this amount, CHF219.99 million was allocated to the federal government, while cantonal authorities received CHF43.08 million.

The commission’s operating budget stayed lean at CHF10.7 million, representing around 3% of total gambling-related outlays. Fees and fines covered CHF9.36 million of these costs, with CHF1.35 million supplemented by the federal treasury.

The year also marked the beginning of Switzerland’s new casino concession cycle, which runs until 2044. By the end of 2025, the country had 20 land-based casinos and nine online casino operators.

Licence Changes Reshape Retail And Online Casino Operations

Casino St. Moritz closed in April due to financial difficulties. The ESBK revoked its concession in August, and there are no current plans to re-tender the licence before a federal review scheduled for 2028.

Casino Schaffhausen also closed in October after 23 years of operation. Its staff and assets were absorbed by Casino Winterthur. Conversely, Casino Davos temporarily suspended operations to relocate before reopening on 15 December after passing a regulatory inspection.

In the online sector, Mendrisio launched digital gambling operations in July 2025. Casino Basel and Casino Montreux exited the online market after deciding their digital operations were not financially sustainable. Their online licence extensions were revoked.

Prilly received an extension until 31 October 2026 to begin operations due to unexpected building remediation requirements.

Exclusion Register And Illegal Gambling Remain Regulatory Priorities

The ESBK reinforced its focus on player protection through the nationwide Spielsperre exclusion register. Registrations have been rising yearly since Switzerland’s 2019 gambling law reforms.

From 7 January 2025, Switzerland and Liechtenstein began recognising each other’s exclusion orders, allowing bans from one jurisdiction to apply in the other. However, the commission raised concerns about the register’s maintenance. It also referred to obsolete or insufficient information on the current risk status of players.

The ESBK said amendments to the federal money-games law or its ordinance may be needed to improve effectiveness. The report also identified a “strong” rise in illegal online gambling during 2025.

There were over 580 domain blocks against illegal gambling websites and 105 new investigations. The commission worked with police and prosecutors on joint operations and training. It also called for stronger European cooperation to tackle cross-border illegal gambling.

Switzerland’s Federal Casino Commission has released a report stating a 2.1% drop in casino GGR for 2025. Due to licensing changes, top casino venues like Casino St. Moritz, Casino Schaffhausen, and Casino Davos were closed. These market exits and other factors contributed to the decline.