Switzerland posts list of blocked sites

Telecommunication service providers in Switzerland are asked to block the websites featured on the blacklist.

Switzerland.- The Swiss Lottery and Betting Board has released a first blacklist of foreign gambling sites. This blocking of over 60 foreign websites comes after a change on the local law on online gambling.

Back in June, approximately 73% of voters approved the reform on the Swiss gambling law, even though there were strong arguments claiming that the law was government censorship, swissinfo.ch reported. The piece came into effect in January but the blocking started in August.

Currently, Swiss gamblers can only bet online with local casinos and lotteries that pay taxes in the country. The local market also requires operators to implement measures in order to protect people from addiction.

Telecommunication service providers through domain name server (DNS) will automatically ban the sites featured on the list published on Tuesday. The regulator said that those foreign sites that voluntarily withdraw from the local market will be exempt from a block.

The approval of the ban

Back in 2018, the Swiss Legislature passed the new domestic Gaming Act. As part of those changes, the gambling regulator from Switzerland said it would start a block on foreign websites on July 1.

In order to safeguard the local industry, the rules established the creation of a blacklist. Gamblers from Switzerland already registered on foreign casinos must contact the companies directly. This is in case they wish to recover the money from their sites as the Swiss regulator has no jurisdiction over them.