Switzerland would likely approve gambling reform

A new poll revealed that 58 per cent of the respondents are in favour of approving a gambling reform.

Switzerland.- Next month will see Swiss residents vote in a nationwide opinion poll to see if they want to amend a gambling law that includes improved regulations to fight gambling addiction and a possible ban on foreign online casinos.

A new poll conducted by GfS Bern polling and research institute revealed that 58 per cent of respondents said that they would approve the reform. Pollsters interviewed 1,411 Swiss citizens from different regions across the country, and the margin of error is 2.7 per cent. Earlier this month there was another survey commissioned by local site swissinfo.ch‘s parent company Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, in which 52 per cent of people said that they would be okay with new regulations. 

GfS Bern co-director Lukas Golder said: “The trend is clearly in favour of parliament and the government. Barring a major upset in the final phase of the debate, we expect the reform to win a majority.”

It is believed that citizens would approve due to an expected drop in revenue from lotteries and casinos proceeds. The justice ministry commissioned a study that showed that foreign casinos would take €217 million annually from the Swiss state.

The new law, which was approved by the parliament last year, would only allow licensed casinos located in Switzerland to offer online games, while sites located abroad would be blocked. The government believes that the policy is similar to 17 other European countries, while opponents say that the regulations are literal and pave the way for an internet censorship.